THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 


PRESENTED  BY 

PROF.  CHARLES  A.  KOFOID  AND 
MRS.  PRUDENCE  W.  KOFOID 


THE  BOBBIN  BOY. 

THE  GOVERNOR. 

Let  your  Boys  read  this  Book. 


It  is  the  true  life  of  a  poor  boy,  who  started  at  the  very  foot  of  the 
ladder,  —  only  a  Bobbin  Boy  in  the  factory, — with  no  natural  advan 
tages,  no  schooling  except  a  few  years  of  very  early  childhood.  Yet, 
by  a  strong  will  and  firm  principle,  with  constant  application  in  the  few 
spare  hours  he  gained  from  those  usually  devoted  to  sleep  and  his 
meals,  he  has  acquired  not  only  an  education,  but  a  power  of  oratory 
not  often  surpassed,  —  that  makes  THE  MAN  the  choice  of  the 
people  their  Governor. 

It  is  a  book  full  of  interesting  incidents,  that  form  every  boy's  life  ; 
he  had  his  troubles,  his  faults,  as  all  boys  have. 

Charlie  Stone,  his  playmate  and  intimate  friend,  is  now  one  of  the 
most  popular  agents  of  one  of  the  most  celebrated  mills  in  the  coun 
try.  He  also  started  in  life  as  a  poor  Bobbin  Boy. 

The  book  is  written  in  the  Rev.  WILLIAM  M.  THAYER'S 
most  attractive  style,  and  illustrated  by  BILLINGS.  It  is  a  large  book 
for  the 

Price,  75  cents. 

J.    E.    TILTON    AND    COMPANY, 
Publishers. 


THE 


PRINTER   BOY; 


on, 


HOW  BEN  PEANKLIN  MADE  HIS  MASK, 


AN    EXAMPLE    FOR    YOUTH, 


BY 


WILLIAM    M.    THAYER, 

ATTTHOR  OF    "  THE  BOBBIN  BOT,W    "  TALES   FROM  THE  BIBLE,"    ETC. 


BOSTON: 
J.    E.    TILTON    AND    COMPANY, 

161    WASHINGTON    STREET. 
1861. 


\L, 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  I860,  by 

J.    E.    TILTON   AND    COMPANY, 
in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Ma^?;ichusetts. 


University  Press,  Cambridge  : 
Stereotyped  and  Printed  by  "Welch,  Bigclcw,  &  Co. 


PRE  FAC  E. 


Tins  book  is  one  of  a  series,  the  design  of  which  is  to 
illustrate  the  familiar  maxim,  that  "  THE  BOY  is  FATHER 
OF  THE  MAN."  The  early  life  of  Franklin  is  sketched 
from  his  childhood  to  the  time  he  was  established  in 
business,  thus  showing  what  he  was  in  boyhood  and  youth ; 
and  the  achievements  of  his  manhood  are  summed  up  in 
a  closing  chapter,  to  substantiate  the  truth  of  the  above 
proverb. 

The  author  believes  that  the  lives  of  distinguished  men 
may  be  incorporated  into  a  story,  uniting  narrative  and 
dialogue  so  as  to  be  more  attractive  to  the  young.  John 
Bunyan  was  the  first  to  adopt  this  style,  and  his  inimitable 
Pilgrim's  Progress  charms  the  young  reader,  not  only  by 
its  graphic  imagery,  but  also  by  its  alternation  of  narra 
tive  and  dialogue.  Since  his  day,  others  have  adopted  a 
similar  style,  particularly  in  works  of  fiction,  with  success. 
Why  may  not  truth  appear  in  such  a  dress  as  successfully 
as  fiction  ?  Why  may  not  actual  lives  be  presented  in  this 
manner  as  vividly  as  imaginary  ones  ?  The  young  mind 


M368133 


iv  PREFACE. 

will  seize  upon  a  truth  or  fact  that  is  conveyed  in  a  story, 
when  it  will  remain  wholly  indifferent  to  it  as  it  appears 
in  a  simple  statement.  So  the  life  of  an  eminent  man  may 
engage  the  attention  of  this  class,  if  he  is  made  to  speak 
and  act  for  himself,  when  they  would  not  be  interested  in 
it,  if  it  were  presented  to  them  in  a  plain  summary  of 
facts. 

In  this  volume,  the  actual  early  life  of  Franklin  is 
wrought  into  a  story.  The  imagination  has  done  no  more 
than  to  weave  the  facts  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  into  a 
"  tale  of  real  life."  It  makes  Benjamin  and  his  associates 
speak  and  do  what  biographers  say  they  spoke  and  did. 
It  simply  paints  the  scenes  and  acts  of  which  other  writers 
have  told. 

A  conspicuous  place  is  given  in  the  work  to  the  maxims 
of  Franklin  for  the  purpose  of  conveying  important  lessons 
in  regard  to  the  formation  of  character,  and  thus  stimulat 
ing  the  young  in  the  path  of  well-doing.  Whole  volumes 
of  meaning  are  condensed  into  many  of  his  wise  and  pithy 
sayings. 

If  young  readers  give  this  book  a  cordial  welcome,  we 
promise  them  another  in  due  time,  on  the  same  plan, 
bearing  the  title,  THE  FARMER-BOY,  OR  How  GEORGE 
WASHINGTON  BECAME  PRESIDENT. 

W.  M.  T. 


CONTENTS. 


I. 
The  Whistle 1 

THE  HOLIDAY. —  THE   COPPERS  IN  BENJAMIN  FRANKLIN'S    POCKET. 

—  INQUIRY.  —  BOUNDING    OUT.  —  THE    TOY-SHOP   THEN    AND    NOW. — 
THE  BOY  AND    HIS  WHISTLE.  —  RESOLVED  TO  PURCHASE.  —  THE  BAR 
GAIN.  —  GOING    HOME.  —  MAKING    MUSIC.  —  DISCUSSION     ABOUT    THE 
PRICE.  —  A    POCKET    FULL     OF     GOOD     THINGS.  —  BENJAMIN     CRYING 
OVEB    HIS    WHISTLE.  —  A    BENEFIT.  —  WHAT    FRANKLIN    SAID     OF    IT 
SIXTY    YE^RS    AFTER.  —  BOYS    DO    NOT    LEARN    FROM    THE    PAST. — 
OTHER  WAYS  OF  PAYING  TOO  DEAR  FOR   A  WHISTLE. — DECEIT   AND 
FALSEHOOD.  —  TIPPLING.  —  WORLDLY  PLEASURE. 

II. 

At  School 9 

TALK  ABOUT  SCHOOL.  —  BROTHERS  AT  TRADES.  —  BENJAMIN  FOR 
THE  CHURCH.  —  EARLY  LEARNED  TO  READ.  —  LONG  PROCESS  TO  PRE 
PARE  FOR  MINISTRY.  — "  UNCLE  BENJAMIN'S  "  REMARKS  AND  OFFER. 

—  WHO  is  "UNCLE  BENJAMIN."  —  A  HUNDRED  YEARS  AGO. —  WHEN 
BENJAMIN  WAS  BORN.  —  BAPTIZED  ON  SAME  DAY  HE  WAS  BORN.  — 
THE  RECORD.  —  DESCRIPTION  OF  HIS  BIRTHPLACE.  —  EARLY  LOVE 
OF  BOOKS.  —  HIS  FATHER'S  VIOLIN.  —  POOR  BUT  INDUSTRIOUS.  —  SEV 
ENTEEN  CHILDREN.  —  DECISION  TO  ENTER  SCHOOL.  —  WHERE  IT  WAS, 
AND    BY    WHOM    KEPT.  —  HIS     RAPID     PROGRESS.  —  MR.     FRANKLIN'S 
TRUST  IN  PROVIDENCE.  —  AT  THE    HEAD    OF    HIS    CLASS.  —  THE    BOY 
FATHER    OF    THE    MAN.  —  DANIEL    WEBSTER. — DAVID    RITTENHOUSE 
AND  GEORGE  STEPHENSON. — HOPES  OF  BENJAMIN. 


Vi  CONTENTS. 

III. 

A  Change 19 

CONVERSATION  BETWEEN  MR.  AND  MRS.  FRANKLIN.  —  DECISION  TO 
REMOVE  BENJAMIN  FROM  SCHOOL.  —  TRIALS  OF  MINISTERS.  —  BREAD 
BEFORE  LEARNING.  —  SUBJECT  OPENED  TO  BENJAMIN.  —  HIS  FEEL 
INGS. —  CHARACTER  OF  SCHOOLS  THEN.  —  MR.  BROWNWELL'S  WRIT 
ING-SCHOOL.  —  BENJAMIN'S  OBEDIENCE.  —  HIS  FATHER  STRICT.  — 

KEEPING  THE  SABBATH.  —  LOVE  AND  RESPECT  FOR  HIS  FATHER.  — 
REBUKING  THE  INQUISITIVE  LANDLORD.  —  ERECTING  MARBLE  STONE 
TO  THE  MEMORY  OF  HIS  PARENTS.  —  THE  STONE  REPLACED  BY  CITI 
ZENS  OF  BOSTON.  —  OBEDIENCE  OF  THE  PEEL  BOYS.  —  HARRY  GAR 
LAND. —  STEPHENSON'S  NOBLE  ACT  TO  HIS  PARENTS.  —  THE  EIGHT 

BROTHERS  AT  INAUGURATION  OF  THE  FRANKLIN  STATUE. —PROGRESS 
IN  PENMANSHIP.  —  BELOVED  BY  TEACHER. 


IV. 

Making  Candles 29 

PUT  TO  CANDLE-MAKING  AT  TEN  YEARS  OF  AGE.  —  HIS  FATHER  A 
TALLOW-CHANDLER.  —  BENJAMIN  OPPOSED  TO  IT.  —  IMPORTANCE  OF 
INDUSTRY.  —  HIS  FATHER'S  HIVE  WITHOUT  DRONES.  —  BENJAMIN'S 
MAXIMS  ABOUT  INDUSTRY  IN  LATER  LIFE.  —  "THE  USED  KEY  AL 
WAYS  BRIGHT." — "DILIGENCE  THE  MOTHER  OF  GOOD  LUCK."  —  BAD 

LUCK.  —  BIBLE   VIEW.  —  NO    SCHOOLING    AFTER  TEN    YEARS    OF    AGE. 

CUTTING    CANDLE-WICKS.  —  WHERE    WAS    THE    SHOP.  —  BENJAMIN 

DESIRES  TO  GO  TO  SEA. — HIS  MOTHER'S  VETO. — AN  OLDER  BROTHER 
WENT  TO  SEA.  —  TALK  WITH  HIS  FATHER.  —  HIS  FATHER'S  VETO. — 
PROMISE  OF  ANOTHER  PURSUIT.  —  RESPECT  FOR  A  PATERNAL  "NO." 

HIS   SPORTS   ON    THE    WATER.  —  NO    PROSPECT    OF    FAME.  —  GIOTTI 

MARKING  IN  THE  SAND.  —  WEBSTER'S  POCKET-HANDKERCHIEF.  — 
ROGER  SHERMAN  AT  HIS  BENCH.— BOYS  NOT  EXCUSED  FROM  SCHOOL 
BY  THESE  EXAMPLES.  —  BENEFIT  OF  A  LITTLE  KNOWLEDGE.  —  SAVED 
BENJAMIN  RUSSELL  IN  THUNDER-STORM.  —  HOW  STEPHENSON  FELT 
FOR  HIS  SON. 


CONTENTS.  Vii 

Y. 

The  Rogue's  Wharf 44 

"  ALL  ABOARD."  —  THE  QUAGMIRE.  —  PROPOSAL  TO  BUILD  A 
WHARF.  —  THE  HEAP  OF  STONES.  —  PLAN  TO  STEAL  THEM.  —  TIME 
SET  IN  THE  EVENING.  —  THE  PLAN  EXECUTED.  —  THE  WHARF  DONE. 

—  KEEPING  THE  SECRET. —  BENJAMIN'S  FATHER  FINDS  HIM  OUT. 

BENJAMIN  IN  A  TIGHT  PLACE.  —  PROMISES  TO  DO  BETTER.  — HOW 

THE  BOYS  WERE  FOUND  OUT.  —  BENJAMIN'S  READING   HABITS.  

WHAT  BOOKS  LIKED.  —  MATHER'S  "ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD."  —  LETTER 
TO  MATHER'S  SON.  —  BOYS  SHOULD  BE  IN  EVENINGS. — ADVANTAGE 
OF  READING.  —  LETTER  TO  A  GIRL  ON  THE  SUBJECT. 

VI. 

Table -Talk .       .55 

INTERVIEW  WITH  A  FRIEND. — HIS  ANCESTORS.  —  THEIR  HARD 
SHIPS. —  DENIED  LIBERTY  OF  CONSCIENCE. — THE  BIBLE  UNDER  THE 
STOOL.  —  LEAVING  THE  CHURCH  OF  ENGLAND.  —  CAME  TO  THI3 
COUNTRY  TO  ENJOY  RELIGIOUS  FREEDOM.  —  CONVERSATION  ON  USE 
FUL  THEMES  AT  TABLE. — ALLOWED  NO  COMPLAINTS  ABOUT  FOOD. 

INTRODUCED  GUESTS  AND  SENSIBLE  REMARKS  TO  PREVENT.  —  EF 
FECT  ON  BENJAMIN.  —  THE  WASHBURNE  FAMILY.  —  BENEFIT  OF  GOOD 
CONVERSATION.  —  HIS  FATHER'S  REMARKS  ABOUT  FOOD.  —  BENJAMIN 
TEMPERATE  IN  EATING  AND  DRINKING.  —  "  THE  WATER- AMERICAN." 

—  NO  TEMPERANCE  SOCIETIES  THEN.  —  TABLE-TALK  NOW.  —  A  TABLE 
SCENE. 

VII. 

Choosing  a  Trade       .       .       .       .       .       .64 

STILL  OPPOSED  TO   CANDLE -MAKING.  —  A  DIRTY,   SIMPLE    BUSINESS. 

—  WANTS     TO     DO     SOMETHING     THAT     REQUIRES     INGENUITY.  —  HIS 
FATHER  AND   MOTHER   CONFERRING  TOGETHER.  —  "A   ROLLING   STONE 


Viii  CONTENTS. 

GATHERS  NO  MOSS."  —  AFRAID  HE  WILL  GO  TO  SEA.  —  BENJAMIN'S 
VIEWS  AND  MAXIMS.  —  OPPORTUNITY  TO  CHOOSE  A  TRADE.  —  GOING 
TO  SEE  DIFFERENT  TRADES. — DEVOTES  A  DAY  TO  IT. — JOINER'S, 
TURNER'S,  AND  BRICKLAYER'S  WORK.  —  CUTLERY  SHOP,  HIS  COUSIN'S. 
WHICH  TRADE  HE  CHOSE. — HIS  FATHER'S  DECISION. — ARRANGE 
MENT  TO  LEARN  TO  MAKE  CUTLERY. — WISE  TO  CONSULT  TASTE  AND 
TACT  OF  BENJAMIN.  —  HANDEL  THE  MUSICIAN.  —  SIR  JOSHUA  REY 
NOLDS. —  FATHER  OF  JOHN  SMEATON. — OPPOSING  CHILD'S  BENT  OF 

MIND. 

VIII. 

The  Printer-Boy 76 

TAKEN  AWAY  FROM  COUSIN  SAMUEL.  —  HIS  BROTHER'S  RETURN 
FROM  ENGLAND.  —  SETTING  UP  PRINTING  BUSINESS.  —  PROPOSAL  TO 
BENJAMIN.  —  A  LONG  APPRENTICESHIP.  —  BENJAMIN  DISPOSED  TO 
TURN  PRINTER-BOY.  —  HIS  BROTHER'S  OFFER  TO  TEACH  HIM  THE 
ART  OF  PRINTING.  —  BORROWING  BOOKS  TO  READ,  AND  SITTING  UP 
NIGHTS.  —  MR.  ADAMS'S  LIBRARY  AND  HIS  KINDNESS.  —  GOING  TO  IT 
FOR  BOOKS.  —  SCARCITY  OF  BOOKS. — COMPARED  WITH  NOW. — TWO 
AND  A  HALF  BOOKS  MADE  IN  A  MINUTE.  —  NO  LIBRARIES  THEN.  — 
THEIR  ENORMOUS  SIZE  NOW.  —  HABIT  OF  READING  MADE  HIM  PUNC 
TUAL. —  EXAMPLE  OF  LORD  BROUGHAM. 


IX. 

First  Literary  Enterprise 85 

A  PIECE  OF  POETRY.  —  PRONOUNCED  GOOD.  —  PROPOSITION  TO 
PRINT  HIS  ARTICLES. — "THE  LIGHT-HOUSE  TRAGEDY."  —  A  SAILOR'S 
SONG. — PRINTING  THEM.  —  SELLING  THEM  IN  THE  STREETS.  — A 
SUCCESSFUL  ENTERPRISE.  —  HIS  FATHER  OPPOSES.  —  CONDEMNS  PO 
ETRY  IN  GENERAL  AND  BENJAMIN'S  IN  PARTICULAR.  —  A  SEVERE 
REBUKE.  —  CRESTFALLEN.  —  CONFERENCE  WITH  JAMES.  —  HIS  FA 
THER'S  CENSURE  A  BENEFIT.  —  PRACTICE  OF  WRITING  COMPOSITION 
EXCELLENT.  —  HOW  IT  BENEFITED  BENJAMIN,  EVEN  PECUNIARILY. 
—  THE  FARMER'S  SON  AND  MINISTER. 


CONTENTS.  IX 

X. 
The  Dispute 93 

DISPUTE  WITH  JOHN  COLLINS. — A  BOOKISH  FELLOW. — THE  EDU 
CATION  OF  GIRLS.  —  THE  CONTROVERSIAL  CORRESPONDENCE.  —  HIS 
FATHER  FINDS  THE  LETTERS.  —  HIS  CRITICISMS.  —  COLLINS  MORE 
EXCELLENCES  THAN  BENJAMIN.  —  BOUGHT  A  COPY  OF  THE  SPECTA 
TOR  AND  STUDIED  IT  LABORIOUSLY.  —  SORRY  THAT  HE  DID  NOT 
CONTINUE  TO  WRITE  POETRY.  —  HIS  FATHER'S  COUNSEL.  —  HIS  ECON 
OMY  OF  TIME.  —  A  BOOK  ALWAYS  BY  HIS  SIDE.  —  HIS  MAXIMS  ON 
THIS  SUBJECT.  —  VIOLATING  THE  SABBATH  TO  GAIN  TIME  TO  STUDY. 
—  USEFUL  CONVERSATION  AND  TALKING  NONSENSE.  —  HUNDREDS 
RUINED  BY  A  SIMILAR  CAUSE.  —  WALTER  SCOTT  HIDING  NOVELS 
FROM  HIS  FATHER.  — POPE  GOING  TO  THE  THEATRE.  —  EXCEPTIONS 
TO  THE  GENERAL  RULE. 

XI. 

Plain  Fare .103 

PROPOSITION  TO  BOARD  HIMSELF.  —  BECAME  A  VEGETARIAN  BY 
READING  TRYON'S  BOOK.  —  WHY  HE  DID  IT.  —  HOW  MUCH  MONEY 

HE     SAVED     BY     DOING     IT.  —  SPENT     IT    FOR     BOOKS.  —  HOW     MUCH 

TIME  SAVED  ALSO.  —  COCKER'S  ARITHMETIC.  —  OTHER  BOOKS  READ 
AT  ODD  MOMENTS.  —  HIS  PLAN  TO  SAVE  TIME.  —  HIS  MAXIMS  ON 
SAVING  TIME. —  AIM  TO  BE  USEFUL.  —  THE  ENGLISH  GRAMMAR.  — • 
SHAFTESBURY'S  WORKS. —  BENJAMIN  A  DOUBTER.  —  MAKES  KNOWN 
HIS  DOUBTS  TO  COLLINS.  —  DANGER  OF  READING  ATTACKS  UPON  THE 

GOSPEL. 

XII. 

The  Newspaper .       .       .       .       .       .       .113 

STARTING  THE  THIRD  NEWSPAPER  IN  AMERICA.  —  OPPOSITION  TO 
IT.  —  NUMBER  OF  NEWSPAPERS  NOW.  —  FORTY  MILLION  SHEETS  FROM 
EIGHT  PRESSES.  —  SEVENTY-ONE  MILES  A  DAY  OF  NEWSPAPERS  FROM 

a* 


X  CONTENTS. 

ONE  OFFICE.  —  ALMOST  ENOUGH  TO  REACH  AROUND  THE  EARTH  IN  A 
TEAR.— WEIGH  THESE  PAPERS.— FOUR  MILLION  POUNDS  IN  A  TEAR. 

—  TWO  THOUSAND  TWO-HORSE  LOADS.  —  THE  NEW  ENGLAND   COURANT 
STARTED.  —  PRINTER,    NEWS-CARRIER,  AND    COLLECTOR. — THE    CLUB. 

—  INCITED    TO    WRITE    AN    ARTICLE.  —  TUCKS    IT     UNDER    PRINTING- 
OFFICE     DOOR.  —  HEARS     IT     FAVORABLY     COMMENTED     ON.  —  WRITES 
OTHER    ARTICLES. — THIS   AN   INCIDENT    THAT    DECIDES   HIS    CAREER. 

—  CANNING    AT   ETON    AND    THE  "MICROCOSM."  —  SIMILAR  PAPER  IN 
SEMINARIES  NOW. 


XIII. 

The  Cat  out  of  the  Bag 122 

EAGER  TO  OWN  THE  PIECES.  —  DISCLOSES  THE  AUTHORSHIP  TO 
JAMES.  —  INTERVIEW  WITH  THE  CLUB.  —  SURPRISE  THAT  BENJAMIN 
WROTE  THEM.  —  TREATED  WITH  ATTENTION  BY  THE  CLUB.  —  OP 
PRESSED  BY  JAMES.  —  TROUBLE  WITH  HIM.  —  BENJAMIN  RESOLVES 
TO  LEAVE  HIM.  —  THE  PRINTING-OFFICE  FURNISHES  MANY  SCHOLARS. 

—  A    NEW    ENGLAND    DIVINE.  —  BENJAMIN    DIRECTED    IN    PATH    TO 
WHICH     NATIVE    ENDOWMENTS     POINTED.  —  SO     OF     LORD     NELSON.  — 
ANECDOTE   OF   HIM.  —  BUXTON,  WILBERFORCE,   AND   OTHERS.  —  EXAM 
PLE  OF  THE  AUTHOR  OF  THE   "  OPTIC  LIBRARY." 

XIV. 
The  Arrest 129 

ACTION  OF  GENERAL  COURT  TO  ARREST  JAMES  FRANKLIN  FOB 
LIBEL.  —  THE  LEGISLATIVE  ORDER.  —  JAMES  IMPRISONED  FOUR 
WEEKS,  AND  BENJAMIN  ARRESTED,  BUT  DISCHARGED.  —  THE  IMME 
DIATE  CAUSE  OF  THE  ARREST.  —  MEETING  OF  THE  CLUB.  —  DECISION 
TO  PUBLISH  THE  PAPER  IN  BENJAMIN'S  NAME.  —  SHREWD  EVASION. 

—  YOUNGEST     CONDUCTOR     OF    A    PAPER     WHO     EVER    LIVED.  —  HI3 
THRUSTS     AT    THE    GOVERNMENT.  —  BENJAMIN    BORN    IN    TROUBLOUS 
TIMES.  —  ATTACKS    AND    MASSACRES  BY  THE    SAVAGES.  —  PREPARED 
THEREBY  TO  ACT  IN  ACHIEVING  INDEPENDENCE.  —  BEARS  IN  BOSTON. 


CONTENTS. 

XV. 
The  Runaway 136 

A  QUARREL.  —  ASSERTING  HIS  FREEDOM.  —  STATEMENT  OF  THE 
CASE.  —  APPEAL,  TO  HIS  FATHER.  —  HIS  FATHER'S  DECISION.  — 
LEAVES  HIS  BROTHER.  —  FAILS  TO  GET  WORK.  —  CHARGED  WITH 
BEING  AN  INFIDEL.  —  PLANS  TO  RUN  AWAY.  —  CONFERENCE  WITH 
COLLINS.— HIS  PLAN  TO  GET  AWAY.  —  COLLINS' 8  TALK  WITH  THE 
CAPTAIN  OF  A  NEW  YORK  SLOOP,  AND  HIS  BASE  LIE.  —  BENJAMIN 
BOARDS  THE  SLOOP.  —  ARRIVAL  IN  NEW  YORK.  —  HIS  LONELY  CON 
DITION.  —  GUILT  OF  A  RUNAWAY.  —  QUARREL  BETWEEN  BROTHERS 
PAINFUL.  —  CASE  OF  WILLIAM  BUTTON.  —  LINES  OF  DR.  WATTS. 

XVI. 

Another  Trip  and  its  Trials      .       .       .       .145 

CALLS  ON  PRINTER  BRADFORD  IN  NEW  YORK. — NO  WORK. — REC 
OMMENDED  TO  GO  TO  PHILADELPHIA. — ARRANGES  FOR  THE  TRIP. 

—  STARTS    FOR    PHILADELPHIA.  —  THE    DRUNKEN    DUTCHMAN.  —  HIS 
WET  VOLUME  AND   BOTTLE.  —  STRUCK  BY  A   SQUALL. — A  SAD  NIGHT 
OFF   LONG    ISLAND. — BENJAMIN'S     FEELINGS.  —  THE   NEXT    MORNING. 

—  STORM   SUBSIDES. — NEXT    NIGHT    ON    SHORE.  —  ADVANTAGE    OF    A 
LITTLE     READING. — BOYS     LOSE     NOTHING     BY     SPENDING     LEISURE 
HOURS  IN   READING.  —  THE  YOUNG    MAN    IN  MAINE.  —  DISCIPLINE  OP 
THE    MIND.  —  CASE     OF    GIBBON.  —  WHAT    BOYS    SAY.  —  SIR  WALTER 

SCOTT  IN  BOYHOOD,  AND  HIS  WARNING  WORDS. — BENJAMIN  LEAV 
ING  AMBOY.  —  FIFTY  MILES  ON  FOOT. —  SUSPECTED  OF  BEING  A 
RUNAWAY. — REACHES  THE  QUACK  DOCTOR'S  TAVERN. — ARRIVAL 
AT  BURLINGTON.  —  THE  GINGERBREAD  WOMAN.  —  THE  BOAT  GONE. — 
GOING  BACK  TO  THE  GINGERBREAD  WOMAN.  —  HIS  WALK.  —  THE 
UNEXPECTED  BOAT  AND  HIS  PASSAGE. — IN  COOPER'S  CREEK  AT 
MIDNIGHT.  —  REACHED  PHILADELPHIA  SUNDAY  MORNING.  —  THE 
SHILLING.  —  THE  BOY  AND  HIS  LOAF.  —  GOING  UP  MARKET  STREET 
WITH  A  BAKER'S  LOAF  UNDER  EACH  ARM.  —  MISS  READ.  —  ASLEEP 

IN    A    QUAKER   CHURCH.  —  SUSPECTED  AGAIN  OF   BEING  A  RUNAWAY. 

—  FIRST  NIGHT  IN  PHILADELPHIA. 


Xll  CONTENTS. 

XVII. 
Getting  Work     .......    165 

CALL,  UPON  ANDREW  BRADFORD.  —  HIS  SURPRISE.  —  DISAPPOINT 
MENT.  —  DIRECTED  TO  KEIMER.  —  THE  INTERVIEW.  —  ADVANTAGE  OF 
THOROUGHNESS.  —  BENJAMIN  DID  THINGS  WELL.  —  BRADFORD'S  TALK 
WITH  KEIMER.  —  KEIMER  ENSNARED.  —  BENJAMIN  MAKES  A  DIS 
CLOSURE.  —  KEIMER  ASTONISHED.  —  REPAIRING  A  PRINTING-PRESS.  - 
AT  WORK  FOR  KEIMER.  —  GOES  TO  BOARD  AT  MR.  READ'S.  —  HIS 
POWER  OF  OBSERVATION.  —  STEPHENSON  LIKE  HIM.  —  WILLIAM  HUT- 
TON  AGAIN  AND  HIS  DULCIMER.  —  PERSEVERANCE.  —  NOT  PROUD.  — 
HOW  MANY  BOYS  WOULD  HAVE  DONE.  —  MAXIMS. 

XVIII. 

News  from  Home,  and  Return         .       .       .174 

THE  UNEXPECTED  LETTER.  —  BENJAMIN'S  REPLY.  —  GOVERNOR 
KEITH  CALLS  TO  SEE  HIM.  —  SURPRISE  OF  KEIMER.  —  INVITES  HIM 
TO  THE  TAVERN.  —  ADVISES  HIM  TO  SET  UP  BUSINESS  FOR  HIMSELF. 
—  BENJAMIN'S  OBJECTIONS  OVERRULED.  —  DECIDES  TO  RETURN  TO 
BOSTON  TO  ASK  HIS  FATHER'S  ASSISTANCE.  —  HOW  THE  GOVERNOR 
LEARNED  OF  BENJAMIN.  —  HIS  RETURN  TO  BOSTON.  —  JOY  AT  HOME. 

-  HIS  GENTLEMANLY  APPEARANCE.  —  GOES  TO  HIS  BROTHER'S  PRINT 
ING-OFFICE.  —  COLD  RECEPTION.  —  INTERVIEW  WITH  THE  WORKMEN. 

-  EXHIBITION  OF  HIS  SILVER  COIN.  —  HIS  WATCH.  —  THE  DOLLAR 
"  TREAT."  —  JAMES  INCENSED.  —  INTERVIEW  WITH  HIS   MOTHER.  — 
STATING  BUSINESS   TO  HIS    FATHER,  AND   GIVING   HIM  THE  GOV 
ERNOR'S  LETTER.  —  HIS  FATHER'S  TALK  WITH   CAPTAIN  HOMES.  — 
HIS  FATHER'S  DENIAL.  —  COLLINS  RETURNS  WITH  HIM 


XIX. 

Back  Again 


SAILS     FOR     NEW     YORK.  —  STOPS     AT     NEWPORT     AND     VISITS     HIS 
BROTHER.  —  THE   NEW  PASSENGERS.  —  THE   OLD   QUAKER    LADY'S    AT- 


CONTENTS.  xiii 

TENTION. — A  NARROW  ESCAPE. — ARRIVAL  IN  NEW  YORK.  —  COLLINS 
THERE  FIRST,  AND  INTOXICATED.  —  MAKES  A  CONFESSION  TO  BENJA 
MIN. —  OWNS  THAT  HE  GAMBLES. — LOST  ALL  HIS  MONEY. — MESSAGE 
FROM  GOVERNOR  BURNET. — BENJAMIN  GOES  TO  SEE  HIM. — TRIP  TO 
PHILADELPHIA. —  COLLECTS  VERNON'S  DEBT. —  TAKES  COLLINS  TO 
BOARD  WITH  HIM. — THROWS  COLLINS  INTO  DELAWARE  RIVER. — 
THE  FATE  OF  COLLINS.  —  INTERVIEW  WITH  GOVERNOR  KEITH.  —  THE 
GOVERNOR  RESOLVES  TO  SET  HIM  UP  IN  BUSINESS. 


XX. 

A  Literary  Game 194 

THE  THREE  ASSOCIATES.  — THEIR  CHARACTERS. — DISCUSSION  ABOUT 
POETS  AND  POETRY.  —  A  PROPOSITION  TO  PARAPHRASE  THE  EIGH 
TEENTH  PSALM. — OSBORNE'S  PREJUDICE,  AND  HOW  TO  PROVE  HIM. 

—  BENJAMIN  READS   RALPH'S   PIECE  AS  HIS    OWN.  —  THE   SUCCESS  OF 
THE   RUSE.  —  SUBSEQUENT     INTERVIEW  OF   BENJAMIN    AND    RALPH. — 
THEIR    DELIGHT     OVER    THE     RESULT. — THE    EXPOSURE    OF   OSBORNE 
AT  THE    NEXT    MEETING.  —  HIS    MORTIFICATION.  —  FATE    OF  WATSON 
AND   OSBORNE.  —  ADVANTAGE  OF  SUCH  LITERARY   CLUBS. 

XXI. 

Going  to  England      .       .  .       .       .202 

INTERVIEW  WITH  GOVERNOR  KEITH.  —  ARRANGEMENTS  TO  GO  TO 
ENGLAND  IN  THE  ANNIS.  —  ONLY  ONE  VESSEL  A  YEAR  TO  SAIL. — 
STILL  WORKS  FOR  KEIMER.  —  THE  LATTER  A  SINGULAR  MAN.  —  EX 
PERIMENT  OF  A  VEGETABLE  DIET.  — KEIMER' S  ABHORRENCE  OF  IT. 

—  EATS  THE  WHOLE  OF  A  PIG  AT  LAST.  — HOW  BENJAMIN    CAME    TO 
RELINQUISH     A     VEGETABLE     DIET.  —  COURTING     MISS     READ.  —  HER 
MOTHER     OBJECTS     TO     ENGAGEMENT.  —  RALPH     CONCLUDES     TO     GO 
WITH  HIM.  —  FOUR  OR  FIVE    PRINTING-OFFICES    THEN,  AND  TWO    OB 
THREE   THOUSAND   NOW.  —  THE   GOVERNOR'S   LETTERS.  —  SET   SAIL  — 
ARRIVAL  IN  LONDON.  —  DISCOVERS  THAT  HIS  LETTERS    ARE    WORTH 
LESS. —  THE    GOVERNOR  A  DECEIVER. — TELLS    HIS    STORY    TO    DEN- 
HAM.  —  GOES  TO  WORK  IN  A  PRINTING-OFFICE.  —  AN  ADVANTAGE  OF 


CONTENTS. 


WRITING  COMPOSITION.  —  HIS  "DISSERTATION  ON  LIBERTY  AND  NE 
CESSITY,  PLEASURE  AND  PAIN."—  WON  HIM  FAME.  —  BARGAIN  WITH 
A  BOOKSELLER.  —  BEER-DRINKING  IN  THE  OFFICE.  —  BENJAMIN'S 
OPPOSITION  TO  IT.  —  HE  WROUGHT  A  REFORM.  —  HIS  FIRMNESS  AND 
INDEPENDENCE.  —  SWIMMING.  —  DRAWN  A  MILE  BY  HIS  KITE  ON  THE 
WATER.  —  ADVISED  TO  OPEN  SWIMMING-SCHOOL.  -  DECIDES  TO  RE 
TURN  TO  AMERICA.  —  A  SCENE  FORTY  YEARS  AFTER. 


XXII. 

Farewell  to  England 218 

ARRIVAL  IN  PHILADELPHIA.  —  CALLS  ON  KEIMER.  —  MEETS  GOV 
ERNOR  KEITH  IN  THE  STREET.  —  INTERVIEW  WITH  MISS  READ. — 
HIS  WANT  OF  FIDELITY. — DENIIAM  OPENED  A  STORE,  AND  BENJA 
MIN  WAS  HIS  CLERK. —  THE  SICKNESS  OF  BOTH.  —  DENHAM  DIES.  — 
BENJAMIN  THROWN  OUT  OF  BUSINESS.  —  RETURNS  TO  HIS  TRADE,  AND 
WORKS  FOR  KEIMER.  —  LEGACY  FROM  DENHAM. — HIS  FIDELITY  AL 
WAYS  PLEASED  HIS  EMPLOYERS.  —  MANY  YOUTH  NOT  CARE  FOR 
EMPLOYER'S  SUCCESS.  —  FIDELITY  ONE  SECRET  OF  BENJAMIN'S  SUC 
CESS. —  THE  OXFORD  STUDENT. — DANGERS  OF  THEATRICAL  AMUSE 
MENTS  AND  BAD  COMPANY.  —  TROUBLE  WITH  KEIMER.  —  REFUSES 
TO  WORK  FOR  HIM.  —  ARRANGEMENTS  TO  GO  INTO  BUSINESS  WITH 
MEREDITH. 


XXIII. 

Setting  up  Business    .       .       .       .       .       .228 

THE  INVENTORY.  —  KEIMER' S  MESSAGE.  —  AT  BURLINGTON.  — 
FRIENDS  MADE  THERE.  —  INTERVIEW  WITH  THE  SURVEYOR-GEN 
ERAL. —  OPENING  HIS  OFFICE.  —  SAMUEL  MICKLE. — HIS  CROAKING. 

THE   RESULT. — POETICAL  NOTICE   IN    THE    PRINTING-OFFICE. — HIS 

RESOLUTION  IN  THE  OUTSET.  —  HIS  INDUSTRY.  —  PROPHECIES  ABOUT 
FAILURE.  —  THE  EVERY-NIGHT  CLUB.  —  THE  LOUNGER  REBUKED.  — 
FRANKLIN  NEVER  ABOVE  HIS  BUSINESS.  —  CASE  OF  JUDGE  MAR 
SHALL.  ECONOMY.  —  HOW  HE  BEGAN  TO  KEEP  HOUSE.  —  MAXIMS. 


CONTENTS.  XV 

—  INTEGRITY.  —  THE  SLANDERER  TURNED  AWAY.  —  SOCRATES  AND 
ARCHELAUS. —  BUSINESS  PROSPEROUS.  —  HOPES  AND  FEARS. —  COLE- 
MAN  AND  GRACE,  AND  THEIR  OFFER.  —  TALK  WITH  MEREDITH,  AND 
THE  LATTER  LEAVES. 

XXIV. 
The  Junto 241 

A  LITERARY  CLUB.  —  WHAT  FRANKLIN  SAID  OF  IT.  —  A  NEW  PROP 
OSITION    FOR    A    LIBRARY.  —  SCARCITY    OF    BOOKS.  —  FRANKLIN    THE 

FATHER     OF     LIBRARIES.  —  SIZE     OF     THE     FIRST     LIBRARY     NOW.  

QUESTIONS  ASKED  BY  THE  "  JUNTO." — THEIR  PRACTICAL  CHARAC 
TER.  —  QUESTIONS  DISCUSSED.  —  MEMBERS  LIMITED  TO  TWELVE. 

NO  IMPROVEMENT  ON  THE  "JUNTO."  —  FRANKLIN'S  HAND  SEEN  IN 
IT.  —  ALL  BUT  ONE  OR  TWO  MEMBERS  BECAME  RESPECTABLE,  AND 
MOST  OF  THEM  DISTINGUISHED  MEN.  —  STUDYING  FRENCH,  ITALIAN, 
AND  SPANISH.  —  PLAYING  CHESS.  —  STUDYING  LATIN.  — THE  rt JUNTO  " 

COPIED     IN    ENGLAND. CANNING.  —  FRANKLIN     BEGINS     TO    THINK 

MORE  OF  RELIGION.  —  DOUBTING  HIS  DOUBTS.  —  A  MINISTER  CALLS 
UPON  HIM. — GOES  TO  MEETING. — THE  FATAL  SERMON.  —  POWER  OF 
CONSCIENCE. — PRAYS,  AND  HIS  FORM  OF  PRAYER.  —  HIS  BOOK  OF 
GOODNESS.  —  RULES  OF  CONDUCT,  AND  WHAT  THEY  SHOW. 


XXV. 

Conclusion   .       .- 251 

THE  PRINTER-BOY   AND  MAN.  —  HIS  BROTHER   RECONCILED   TO   HIM. 

—  REARS     HIS     NEPHEW.  HOLDS     IMPORTANT     OFFICES.  —  REFUSES 

PATENT  OF  A  STOVE. — GIFT  TO  ENGLISH  CLERGYMAN.  —  IMPROVES 
STREET-LAMPS.  —  FORMS  FIRE-COMPANY.  —  ORGANIZES  MILITIA.  —  A 

SCHEDULE    OF    THE    OFFICES     HE    FILLED    AND    HONORS     HE   WON. 

HONORED  IN  FRANCE,  AND  ALL  EUROPE.  —  SOCIETIES  AND  TOWNS 
NAMED  FOR  HIM.  — A  LIBRARY  PRESENTED  TO  THE  TOWN  OF  FRANK- 
LLN,  MASS.  —  HIS  REMARK  ABOUT  MORE  SENSE  THAN  SOUND.  —  WASH 
INGTON'S  PRAISE  OF  HIM. —  ACTION  OF  CONGRESS. —  DEMONSTRATIONS 


xvi  CONTENTS. 

OP  RESPECT  IN  FRANCE.  —  A   BENJAMIN  TRULY,  AND   NOT  A  BEN-ONI. 

—  REGRETTING  HIS  EARLY   DISREGARD  OF   RELIGION.  —  HIS  BENEVO 
LENCE. —  EMPTIED  HIS   POCKETS   FOR  WHITEFIELD.  —  HIS  HUMANITY, 
AND  WORDS  OF  A  BIOGRAPHER. — HIS  REVERENCE  FOR  GOD  IN  HIGH 
PLACES. — PROPOSED    THE    FIRST    FAST.  —  ADVOCATES    PRATERS    IN 
THE  NATIONAL  CONVENTION. — THE  YOUNG  MAN  AT  HIS  DEATH-BED. 

—  HIS  LAST  WORDS  FOR  THE  BIBLE. 


THE    PRINTER-BOY. 


i. 

THE   WHISTLE, 

IT  WAS  a  bright,  welcome  holiday  to  little  Ben 
jamin  Franklin,  when  his  kind  parents  put  some 
coppers  into  his  pocket,  to  spend  as  he  saw  fit.  Pos 
sibly  it  was  the  first  time  he  was  ever  permitted  to 
go  out  alone  into  the  streets  of  Boston  with  money 
to  spend  for  his  own  pleasure :  for  he  was  now  but 
seven  years  old. 

"  Can  I  have  more  coppers  when  these  are  gone?  " 
he  inquired. 

"  No,"  replied  his  mother,  "  you  have  quite  as 
many  now  as  will  be  for  your  welfare,  I  think.  You 
must  be  a  good  boy,  and  keep  out  of  mischief." 

"  What  are  you  going  to  buy  ?  "  asked  an  older 
brother ;  and,  without  waiting  for  a  reply,  answered 
the  question  himself,  by  saying,  "  Candy  of  course." 

"  Lay  out  your  money  wisely,"  added  his  mother. 
"  I  shall  want  to  see  how  much  wisdom  you  display 

1  A 


2  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

in  your  purchases.     Remember  '  all  is  not  gold  that 
glitters.'  " 

His  mother  had  scarcely  ceased  speaking,  when 
Benjamin  bounded  out  of  the  house,  eager  to  enjoy 
the  anticipated  pleasures  of  the  day.  Like  other 
boys,  on  such  occasions,  his  head  was  filled  with  be 
witching  fancies,  and  he  evidently  expected  such  a 
day  of  joy  as  he  never  had  before.  First  in  his 
thoughts  stood  the  toy-shop,  into  the  windows  of 
which  he  had  often  looked  wistfully,  although  it 
was  a  small  affair  compared  with  the  Boston  toy 
shops  of  the  present  day.  Every  article  in  it  could 
have  been  examined  in  one  or  two  hours,  while 
now  it  would  take  as  many  days  to  view  all  the 
articles  in  one  of  these  curiosity-shops.  It  is 
almost  wonderful,  and  even  fabulous,  this  multi 
plication  of  playthings  for  the  children.  There 
seems  to  be  no  end  to  them,  and  many  a  girl  and 
boy  have  been  put  to  their  "wits'  ends"  to  know 
what  to  choose  out  of  the  thousands  of  articles  ar 
ranged  on  the  shelves. 

Benjamin  had  not  proceeded  far  before  he  met  a 
boy  blowing  away  upon  a  new-bought  whistle,  as  if 
its  music  were  sweeter  than  the  voice  of  lark  or 
nightingale.  He  could  scarcely  help  envying  him 
the  happiness  of  owning  so  valuable  a  treasure. 
He  stopped  and  looked  at  him  with  an  expression 
of  delight,  and  they  exchanged  glances  that  showed 
a  genuine  sympathy  springing  up  between  them. 


THE  WHISTLE.  3 

At  once  he  resolved  to  possess  a  similar  musical  in 
strument,  as  I  suppose  it  may  be  called ;  and  away 
he  hastened  to  the  toy-shop,  knowing  that  it  must 
have  been  purchased  there. 

"  Any  whistles  ?  "  he  inquired. 

"  Plenty  of  them,"  answered  the  proprietor,  with 
a  smile,  as  he  brought  forth  a  number,  to  the 
amazement  of  his  little  customer. 

"  I  will  give  you  all  the  money  I  have  for  one," 
said  Benjamin,  without  waiting  to  inquire  the  price, 
so  enthusiastic  was  he  to  become  the  possessor  of 
such  a  prize. 

"  Ah !  all  you  have  ?  "  responded  the  merchant. 
"  Perhaps  you  have  not  so  much  as  I  ask  for  them. 
You  see  these  are  very  nice  whistles." 

"  I  know  it,"  added  Benjamin,  "  and  I  will  give 
you  all  the  money  I  have  for  one,"  still  more  afraid 
that  he  should  not  be  able  to  obtain  one. 

"  How  much  money  have  you  ?  " 

Benjamin  told  him  honestly  just  how  much  he 
had,  and  the  merchant  agreed  to  give  him  a 
whistle  in  exchange  for  it. 

Never  was  a  child  more  delighted  than  he,  when 
the  bargain  was  made.  He  tried  every  whistle, 
that  he  might  select  the  one  having  the  most  music 
in  it ;  and  when  his  choice  was  settled,  he  turned 
his  steps  towards  home.  He  thought  no  more  of 
other  sights  and  scenes,  and  cared  not  for  sweet 
meats  and  knick-knacks,  now  that  he  owned  this 


4  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

wonderful  thing.  He  reached  home  and  hurried  into 
the  house,  blowing  his  whistle  lustily  as  he  went,  as 
if  he  expected  to  astonish  the  whole  race  of  Frank 
lins  by  the  shrillness,  if  not  by  the  sweetness,  of 
his  music. 

"  What  have  you  there,  Benjamin  ?  "  inquired  his 
mother. 

"A  whistle,"  he  answered,  hardly  stopping  his 
blowing  long  enough  to  give  a  reverent  reply. 

"  You  got  back  quick,  it  seems  to  me,"  she  con 
tinued.  "  Have  you  seen  all  that  is  to  be  seen  ?  " 

"All  I  want  to  see,"  he  answered,  —  which  was 
very  true.  He  was  so  completely  carried  away  with 
his  whistle  that  he  had  lost  all  his  interest  in  every 
thing  else  belonging  to  the  holiday.  His  cup  of 
delight  was  running  over  now  that  he  could  march 
about  the  house  with  musical  sounds  of  his  own 
making. 

"How  much  did  you  give  for  your  whistle?" 
asked  one  of  his  cousins,  who  was  present. 

"  All  the  money  I  had,"  he  replied. 

"  What !  "  exclaimed  his  brother,  "  did  you  give 
all  your  money  for  that  little  concern  ?  " 

"  Yes,  every  cent  of  it." 

"  You  are  not  half  so  bright  as  I  thought  you 
were,"  continued  his  brother.  "  It  is  four  times  as 
much  as  the  whistle  is  worth." 

"  You  should  have  asked  the  price  of  it,  in  the 
first  place,"  said  his  mother.  "  Some  men  will  take 


THE  WHISTLE.  5 

all  the  money  they  can  get  for  an  article.     Perhaps 
he  did  not  ask  so  much  as  you  gave  for  it." 

"  If  you  had  given  a  reasonable  price  for  it,"  said 
his  brother,  "you  might  have  had  enough  left  to 
have  bought  a  pocket  full  of  good  things." 

"Yes,"  added  his  cousin,  "  peppermints,  candy, 
cakes,  and  more  perhaps  ;  but  it  is  the  first  time  he 
ever  went  a  shopping  on  a  holiday." 

"  I  must  confess  you  are  a  smart  fellow,  Ben," 
(as  he  was  familiarly  called  by  the  boys,)  "to  be 
taken  in  like  that,"  continued  his  brother,  rather 
deridingiy.  "  All  your  money  for  that  worthless 
thing,  that  is  enough  to  make  us  ciazy  !  You 
ought  to  have  known  better.  Suppose  you  had 
had  twice  as  much  money,  you  would  have  given 
it  all  for  the  whistle,  I  suppose,  if  this  is  the  way 
you  trade." 

"  Perhaps  he  would  have  bought  two  or  three  of 
them  in  that  case,"  said  his  cousin,  at  the  same  time 
looking  very  much  as  if  he  intended  to  make  sport 
of  the  young  whistler. 

By  this  time  Benjamin,  who  had  said  nothing  in 
reply  to  their  taunts  and  reproofs,  was  running  over 
with  feeling,  and  he  could  hold  in  no  longer.  He 
burst  into  tears,  and  made  even  more  noise  by  cry 
ing  than  he  had  done  with  his  whistle.  Both  their 
ridicule  and  the  thought  of  having  paid  so  much 
more  than  he  ought  for  the  article,  overcame  him, 
and  he  found  relief  in  tears.  His  mother  came  to 
the  rescue,  by  saying,  — 


6  THE  PRINTEK-BOY. 

"Never  mind,  Benjamin,  you  will  understand 
better  next  time.  We  must  all  live  and  learn.  I 
guess  you  did  about  as  well  as  most  boys  of  your 
age  would." 

"I  think  so,  too,"  said  his  cousin;  "but  we 
wanted  to  have  a  little  sport  seeing  it  is  a  holiday. 
So  wipe  up,  <  Ben,'  and  we  will  have  a  good  time 
yet." 

On  the  whole,  it  was  really  a  benefit  that  Benja 
min  paid  too  much  for  his  whistle.  For  he  learned 
a  lesson  thereby  which  he  never  forgot.  It  de 
stroyed  his  happiness  on  that  holiday,  but  it  saved 
him  from  much  unhappiness  in  years  to  come. 
More  than  sixty  years  afterwards,  when  he  was 
in  France,  he  wrote  to  a  friend,  rehearsing  this 
incident  of  his  childhood,  and  said, — 

"  This,  however,  was  afterwards  of  use  to  me,  the 
impression  continuing  on  my  mind ;  so  that  often, 
when  I  was  tempted  to  buy  some  unnecessary  thing, 
I  said  to  myself,  Don't  give  too  much  for  the  whistle  ; 
and  I  saved  my  money. 

"  As  I  grew  up,  came  into  the  world,  and  observed 
the  actions  of  men,  I  thought  I  met  with  many, 
very  many,  who  gave  too  much  for  the  whistle. 

"  When  I  saw  one  too  ambitious  of  court  favor, 
sacrificing  his  time  in  attendance  on  levees,  his  re 
pose,  his  liberty,  his  virtue,  and  perhaps  his  friends, 
to  attain  it,  I  have  said  to  myself,  This  man  gives  too 
much  for  his  whistle. 


THE   WHISTLE.  7 

"  When  I  saw  another  fond  of  popularity,  con 
stantly  employing  himself  in  political  bustles,  neg 
lecting  his  own  affairs,  and  ruining  them  by  that 
neglect,  He  pays,  indeed,  said  I,  too  much  for  Ms 
whistle. 

"  If  I  see  one  fond  of  appearance,  or  fine  clothes, 
fine  houses,  fine  furniture,  fine  equipages,  all  above 
his  fortune,  —  for  which  he  contracts  debts,  and 
ends  his  career  in  a  prison,  —  Alas  !  say  I,  he  has 
paid  dear,  very  dear,  for  his  whistle. 

"  When  I  see  a  beautiful,  sweet-tempered  girl 
married  to  an  ill-natured  brute  of  a  husband,  Wliat 
a  pity,  say  I,  that  she  should  pay  so  much  for  a 
whistle  ! 

"  In  short,  I  conceive  that  great  part  of  the  mis 
eries  of  mankind  are  brought  upon  them  by  the 
false  estimates  they  have  made  of  the  value  of 
things,  and  by  their  giving1  too  much  for  their 
whistle." 

Thus  Benjamin  made  a  good  use  of  one  of  the 
foolish  acts  of  his  boyhood,  which  tells  well  for  both 
his  head  and  heart.  Many  boys  are  far  less  wise, 
and  do  the  same  foolish  thing  over  and  over  again. 
They  never  learn  wisdom  from  the  past.  Poor,  sim 
ple,  pitiable  class  of  boys  ! 

Let  the  reader  prove  himself  another  Benjamin 
Franklin  in  this  respect.  Remember  that  there  is 
more  than  one  way  to  pay  too  dear  for  a  whistle, 
and  he  is  wisest  who  tries  to  discover  them  all. 


8  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

When  a  boy  equivocates,  or  deceives,  to  conceal 
some  act  of  disobedience  from  his  parents  or  teachers, 
and  thereby  lays  the  foundations  for  habitual  un- 
truthfulness,  he  pays  too  dear  for  the  whistle  ;  and 
he  will  learn  the  truth  of  it  when  he  becomes  older, 
and  cannot  command  the  confidence  of  his  friends 
and  neighbors,  but  is  branded  by  them  as  an  unre 
liable,  dishonest  man. 

In  like  manner,  the  boy  who  thinks  it  is  manly  to 
smoke,  and  tip  the  wine-cup  occasionally,  will  find 
that  he  has  a  very  expensive  whistle,  when  he  be 
comes  a  "  hale  fellow  well  met  "  among  a  miserable 
class  of  young  men,  and  is  despised  and  discarded 
by  the  virtuous  and  good. 

So,  in  general,  the  young  person  who  is  fascinated 
by  worldly  pleasure,  and  supposes  that  wealth  and 
honor  are  real  apples  of  gold  to  the  possessor,  think 
ing  less  of  goodness  and  a  life  of  piety  than  he  does 
of  mere  show  and  worldliness,  will  find  that  he  has 
been  playing  with  a  costly  whistle,  when  age  and  his 
last  sickness  comes,  and  death  confronts  him  with 
its  stern  realities. 


II. 

AT  SCHOOL, 

« "TTTELL,  BENJAMIN,"  said  his  father,  laying 
T  T  down  his  violin,  upon  which  he  was  wont 
to  play  in  the  evening  for  his  own  and  children's 
amusement,  "  how  should  you  like  to  go  to  school 
and  qualify  yourself  to  be  a  minister  ?  You  are  as 
fond  of  your  books  as  James  is  of  printing,  or  John 
of  making  candles  !  " 

"  I  should  like  to  go  to  school  well  enough,"  re 
plied  Benjamin,  after  some  hesitation,  "  but  I  don't 
know  about  the  rest  of  it." 

"  You  are  old  enough  now,"  continued  his  father, 
"  to  think  about  a  trade  or  profession.  Your  elder 
brothers  have  their  trades,  and  perhaps  you  ought 
to  give  your  service  to  the  Church.  You  like  to 
study,  do  you  not  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir !  the  best  of  anything  I  do."  A  very 
correct  answer,  since  he  began  to  read  so  young 
that  he  could  not  remember  the  time  when  he  could 
not  read  his  Bible. 

"  It  will  cost  a  good  deal  to  keep  you  at  school 
and  educate  you,  and  perhaps  I  shall  not  be  able 
1* 


10  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

to  do  it  with  so  large  a  family  to  support.  I 
have  to  be  very  industrious  now  to  make  my  ends 
meet.  But  if  you  are  diligent  to  improve  your 
time,  and  lend  a  helping  hand  at  home,  out  of 
school  hours,  I  may  be  able  to  do  it." 

"  When  shall  I  begin  school,  if  you  decide  to  let 
me  go  ?  " 

"  Immediately.  It  is  a  long  process  to  become 
qualified  for  the  ministry,  and  the  sooner  you  begin 
the  better." 

"  Uncle  Benjamin,"  as  he  was  called  in  the  fam 
ily,  a  brother  of  our  little  hero's  father,  sat  listen 
ing  to  the  conversation,  and,  at  this  point,  re 
marked,  "  Yes,  Benjamin,  it  is  the  best  thing  you 
can  do.  I  am  sure  you  can  make  very  rapid  pro 
gress  at  school ;  and  there  ought  to  be  one  preacher 
in  the  family,  I  think." 

"  So  many  people  have  told  me,"  added  his  fa 
ther.  "  Dr.  Willard  [his  pastor]  said  as  much  to 
me  not  long  ago,  and  I  am  fully  persuaded  to  make 
the  trial." 

"  It  won't  be  a  severe  trial,  neither,"  said  Uncle 
Benjamin.  "  The  thing  can  be  accomplished  more 
easily  than  at  first  appears.  I  tell  you  what  it  is, 
Benjamin,"  addressing  himself  to  the  boy,  "  when 
you  are  qualified  for  the  office,  I  will  give  you  my 
large  volume  of  short-hand  sermons,  and  the  read 
ing  of  these  will  improve  your  manner  of  sermon 
izing." 


AT   SCHOOL.  11 

This  uncle  had  recently  come  over  from  England, 
and  was  boarding  in  the  family.  He  was  a  very 
intelligent  man,  quite  a  literary  character  for  the 
times,  and  had  been  accustomed  to  take  down  the 
sermons  to  which  he  listened,  in  short-hand,  until 
he  had  preserved  a  large  manuscript  volume  of 
them,  which  he  valued  highly.  It  was  this  volume 
whMi  he  promised  to  bequeath  to  his  nephew  when 
he  should  become  qualified  to  enter  the  ministry. 

This  interview  occurred  almost  one  hundred  and 
fifty  years  ago,  between  Benjamin  Franklin,  who 
paid  too  much  for  the  whistle,  and  his  father,  whose 
Christian  name  was  Josiah.  The  lad  was  eight 
years  old  at  the  time,  a  bright,  active,  intelligent 
boy,  who  was  more  fond  of  reading  than  any  other 
child  in  the  family.  He  was  born  in  Boston  on 
Sunday,  January  6,  (Old  Style,  corresponding  to 
January  17,  New  Style,)  1706,  and  on  the  same 
day  was  carried  into  the  Old  South  Church,  and 
there  baptized.  Both  his  father  and  mother  were 
members  of  that  church. 

If  you  ask  how  it  is  known  that  he  was  born  and 
baptized  on  the  same  day,  we  answer,  that  on  the 
"  Old  Boston  Town  Records  of  Births,"  under  the 
heading,  "Boston  Births  Entered  1708,"  is  the 
following :  — 

"  Benjamin,  son  of  Josiah  Franklin,  and  Abiah, 
his  wife,  Born  6  Jan.,  1706." 

By  some  oversight  or  negligence  the  birth  was  not 


12  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

recorded  until  two  years  after  Benjamin  was  born  ; 
yet  it  shows  that  he  was  born  on  Jan.  6,  1706. 

Then  we  turn  to  the  records  of  the  Old  South 
Church,  and  find  among  the  baptism  of  infants  the 
following :  — 

"  1706,  Jan.  6.  Benjamin,  son  of  Josiah  and 
Abiah  Franklin." 

Putting  these  two  records  together,  they  establish 
beyond  doubt  the  fact  that  Benjamin  Franklin  was 
born  and  baptized  on  the  same  day.  It  has  gener 
ally  been  said  that  we  do  not  know  by  whom  he  was 
baptized,  although  the  rite  must  have  been  performed 
either  by  Dr.  Samuel  Willard  or  Rev.  Ebenezer 
Femberton,  who  were  then  pastors  of  the  Old  South 
Church.  But  the  fact  that  the  record  is  made  in  the 
handwriting  of  Dr.  Willard  would  indicate  that  he 
baptized  him.  He  was  born  in  Milk  Street,  opposite 
the  church,  so  that  he  had  only  to  be  carried  across 
the  street  to  receive  the  ordinance  of  baptism. 

A  picture  of  the  old  house  in  which  he  was  born 
has  been  preserved,  and  it  stood  on  the  spot  where 
now  rises  a  lofty  granite  warehouse,  bearing,  in 
raised  letters  beneath  the  cornice,  the  inscription, 
"  BIRTHPLACE  OF  FRANKLIN."  The  house  measured 
twenty  feet  in  width,  and  was  about  thirty  feet  long, 
including  the  L.  It  was  three  stories  high  in  ap 
pearance,  the  third  being  the  attic.  On  the  lower 
floor  of  the  main  house  there  was  only  one  room, 
which  was  about  twenty  feet  square,  and  served  the 


AT   SCHOOL.  13 

family  the  triple  purpose  of  parlor,  sitting-room,  and 
dining-hall.  It  contained  an  old-fashioned  fire-place, 
so  large  that  an  ox  might  have  been  roasted  before 
it.  The  second  and  third  stories  originally  con 
tained  bnt  one  chamber  each,  of  ample  dimensions, 
and  furnished  in  the  plainest  manner.  The  attic 
was  an  unplastered  room,  where  probably  some  of 
the  elder  children  lodged.  This  house  stood  about 
a  hundred  years  after  the  Franklins  left  it,  and  was 
finally  destroyed  by  fire,  on  Saturday,  Dec.  29, 
1810. 

He  was  named  for  the  aforesaid  uncle,  and  this 
circumstance  alone  was  well  suited  to  beget  a  mu 
tual  interest  and  attachment  between  them.  His 
love  of  books  early  attracted  the  attention  of  his 
parents  and  others,  and  they  regarded  him  as  a 
precocious  child.  On  this  account  the  remark  was 
often  volunteered,  "  that  he  ought  to  be  sent  to 
college." 

We  have  said  that  Mr.  Franklin  was  playing  upon 
his  violin  on  the  evening  of  the  aforesaid  interview. 
He  was  very  fond  of  music,  was  a  good  singer,  and 
performed  well  upon  the  violin.  He  was  wont  to 
gather  his  family  around  him  during  the  leisure 
hours  of  evening,  and  sing  and  play.  Many  cheer 
ful  and  happy  seasons  were  passed  in  this  way  at 
the  fireside,  the  influence  of  which  was  excellent 
upon  his  children. 

That  it  would  be  doubtful  whether  he  could  meet 


14  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

the  expense  of  sending  Benjamin  to  college,  must 
appear  to  the  reader,  when  he  learns  that  he  was  a 
laboring  man,  and  had  a  family  of  seventeen  chil 
dren,  thirteen  of  whom  sat  around  his  table  to 
gether,  at  one  time.  Fourteen  were  older  than 
Benjamin,  and  two  were  younger.  To  support  so 
large  a  family  must  have  taxed  the  energies  of  the 
father  to  the  utmost,  even  though  no  one  of  them 
were  destined  for  a  learned  profession. 

It  was  arranged  that  Benjamin  should  immedi 
ately  enter  school,  and*  enjoy  the  best  literary  ad 
vantages  which  the  poverty  of  his  father  could  pro 
vide.  He  acceded  to  the  plan  with  hearty  good 
will,  and  commenced  his  studies  with  such  zeal  and 
enthusiasm  as  few  scholars  exhibit. 

The  school  was  taught  by  Mr.  Nathaniel  Williams, 
successor  of  the  famous  Boston  teacher,  Mr.  Ezekiel 
Cheever,  who  was  instructor  thirty-five  years,  and 
who  discontinued  teaching,  as  Cotton  Mather  said, 
"  only  when  mortality  took  him  off."  The  homely 
old  wooden  school-house,  one  story  and  a  half  high, 
stood  near  by  the  spot  on  which  the  bronze  statue  of 
Franklin  is  now  seen,  and  there  was  the  "  school- 
house  green,"  where  "  Ben "  and  his  companions 
sported  together.  It  was  probably  the  only  free 
grammar  school  which  Boston  afforded  at  that  time  ; 
for  it  was  only  a  little  village  compared  with  its 
present  size.  It  then  contained  only  about  ten 
thousand  inhabitants,  and  now  it  has  more  than 


AT   SCHOOL.  15 

fifteen  times  that  number.  There  were  no  stately 
public  buildings  at  that  time,  like  the  State-House, 
Court-House,  Custom-House,  Athenaeum,  Public  Li 
brary,  <fec.  Such  splendid  granite  blocks  of  stores 
as  we  now  behold  on  almost  every  business  street, 
were  then  unknown ;  and  no  shops  could  be  found, 
as  now,  filled  with  the  fabrics  of  every  land.  There 
were  no  costly  houses  of  worship,  the  "  Old  South 
Meeting-house,"  then  about  half  its  present  size, 
being  the  oldest  one  in  existence  at  the  time. 

When  Benjamin  was  born,  the  streets  of  Boston 
were  not  named.  This  was  not  done  until  the  year 
after,  when  there  were  but  one  hundred  and  ten  of 
them  in  number.  Now  there  are  a  thousand  streets, 
courts,  and  places.  Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  the 
Boston  of  that  day  resembled  the  present  Boston 
little  more  than  Benjamin  Franklin  blowing  his  whis 
tle  resembled  Benjamin  Franklin  the  great  states 
man  and  philosopher. 

"  I  have  seen  the  teacher  to-day,"  said  Mr.  Frank 
lin  to  his  wife,  two  or  three  months  after  his  son 
entered  school,  "  and  he  says  that  he  is  making 
rapid  progress,  and  will  soon  stand  first  in  his  class, 
although  others  have  enjoyed  much  better  advan 
tages." 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  it,"  answered  Mrs.  Franklin, 
with  a  satisfied  air,  such  as  mothers  are  likely  to 
betray  when  they  know  that  their  children  are 
doing  well ;  "I  think  he  will  make  a  good  scholar 


16 


THE   PRINTER-BOY. 


if  he  can  have  the  opportunity,  though  I  scarcely 
see  how  you  will  be  able  to  educate  him.'' 

"  I  can  hardly  see  how  myself,"  said  her  husband, 
"  yet  I  trust  that  God  will  provide  a  way.  At  any 
rate,  I  hope  for  the  best." 

"  It  will  be  more  and  more  expensive  every  year 
to  support  him,"  added  Mrs.  Franklin,  "  since  his 
clothes  will  cost  more  as  he  advances  in  years.  The 
least  expense  in  educating  him  we  are  having 
now." 

"  That  is  very  true,  and  I  have  looked  at  the 
matter  in  this  light,  all  the  while  not  being  able  to 
see  my  way  quite  clear,  yet  trusting  to  Providence 
for  a  happy  issue." 

"  It  is  well  to  trust  in  Providence  if  it  is  not  done 
blindly,  for  Providence  sometimes  does  wonders  for 
those  who  trust.  It  is  quite  certain  that  he  who 
parted  the  waters  of  the  Eed  Sea  for  the  children 
of  Israel  to  pass,  and  fed  them  with  manna  from 
the  skies,  can  provide  a  way  for  our  Benjamin  to  be 
educated.  But  it  looks  to  me  as  if  some  of  his 
bread  would  have  to  drop  down  from  heaven." 

"  Well,  if  it  comes,  that  is  enough,"  responded 
Mr.  Franklin,  rather  dryly.  "If  God  does  any 
thing  for  him,  he  will  do  it  in  his  own  time  and  way. 
I  shall  be  satisfied  to  see  him  qualified  for  useful 
ness  in  the  service  of  the  Church." 

Within  a  few  months  after  Benjamin  entered 
school,  he  had  advanced  from  the  middle  to  the 


AT  SCHOOL.  17 

head  of  his  class.  He  was  so  apt  to  learn,  and 
gave  so  close  attention  to  his  lessons,  that  his 
teacher  spoke  of  him  as  a  boy  of  uncommon  prom 
ise.  He  did  not  stand  at  the  head  of  his  class  long, 
however,  before  he  was  transferred  to  a  higher  one. 
He  so  far  outstripped  his  companions  that  the 
teacher  was  obliged  to  advance  him  thus,  otherwise 
his  mental  progress  would  have  been  injuriously 
retarded.  His  parents  were  highly  gratified  with 
his  diligent  improvement  of  time  and  opportunities, 
and  other  relatives  and  friends  began  to  prophesy 
his  future  eminence. 

It  is  generally  the  case  that  such  early  attention 
to  studies,  in  connection  with  the  advancement  that 
follows,  awakens  high  hopes  of  the  young  in  the 
hearts  of  all  observers.  Such  things  foreshadow 
the  future  character,  so  that  people  think  they  can 
tell  what  the  man  will  be  from  what  the  boy  is.  So 
it  was  with  young  Benjamin  Franklin.  So  it  was 
with  Daniel  Webster, — his  mother  inferred  from 
his  close  attention  to  reading,  and  his  remarkable 
progress  in  learning,  that  he  would  become  a  distin 
guished  man,  and  so  expressed  herself  to  others. 
She  lived  to  see  him  rise  in  his  profession,  until  he 
became  a  member  of  Congress,  though  she  died 
before  he  reached  the  zenith  of  his  renown.  The 
same  was  true  of  David  Eittenhouse,  the  famous 
mathematician.  When  he  was  but  eight  years  old 
he  constructed  various  articles,  such  as  a  perfect 

B 


18  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

miniature  water-wheel,  and  at  seventeen  years  of 
age  he  made  a  complete  clock.  His  younger 
brother  relates  that  he  was  accustomed  to  stop 
when  he  was  ploughing  in  the  field,  and  solve  prob 
lems  on  the  fence,  and  sometimes  cover  the  plough- 
handles  over  with  figures.  The  highest  expecta 
tions  of  his  friends  were  more  than  realized  in  his 
after  life.  The  peculiar  genius  which  he  exhibited 
in  his  boyhood  gave  him  his  world-wide  fame  at  last. 
Also,  George  Stephenson,  the  great  engineer,  the 
son  of  a  very  poor  man,  who  fired  the  engine  at  the 
Wylam  Colliery,  began  his  life-labor  when  a  mere 
boy.  Besides  watching  the  cows,  and  barring  the 
gates  at  night  after  the  coal-wagons  had  passed,  at 
four  cents  a  day,  he  amused  himself  during  his  leis 
ure  moments  in  making  clay  engines,  in  imitation 
of  that  which  his  father  tended.  Although  he  lived 
in  such  humble  circumstances  that  he  was  almost 
entirely  unnoticed,  yet  it  would  have  been  apparent 
to  any  observer,  that  his  intense  interest  in,  and 
taste  for,  such  mechanical  work,  evinced  what  the 
future  man  would  be. 

It  was  quite  natural,  then,  for  the  parents  and 
friends  of  Benjamin  Franklin  to  be  encouraged  by 
his  love  of  books,  and  diligent  attention,  especially 
when  so  much  intellectual  brightness  was  also  man 
ifest.  The  sequel  will  prove  whether  their  hopes 
were  wisely  cherished. 


III. 

A  CHANGE, 

BENJAMIN  HAD  not  been  in  school  quite  a 
year,  when  his  father   saw  plainly  that  he 
would  not  be  able  to  defray  the  expense  of  edu 
cating  him. 

"  I  might  keep  him  along  for  the  present,"  said 
he  to  his  wife,  "but  I  am  satisfied  that  I  cannot 
carry  him  through.  My  family  expenses  are  now 
very  great,  and  they  will  be  still  larger.  It  will 
make  considerable  difference  in  my  expenses  whether 
Benjamin  is  kept  at  school,  or  assists  me  by  the  labor 
of  his  hands." 

"  I  am  not  surprised  at  all  at  your  conclusion," 
replied  Mrs.  Franklin.  "  It  is  no  more  than  I  have 
expected,  as  I  have  before  intimated.  Parents  must 
be  better  off  than  we  are  to  be  able  to  send  a  son  to 
college." 

"  If  they  have  as  many  children  to  support,  you 
might  add,"  said  Mr.  Franklin.  "  I  could  easily 
accomplish  it  with  no  larger  family  on  my  hands 
than  some  of  my  neighbors  have." 
%  "  Do  you  intend  to  take  Benjamin  out  of  school 
at  once?" 


20  THE   PRINTER-BOY. 

"  Yes !  I  have  very  reluctantly  come  to  the  con 
clusion  that  I  must.  It  is  contrary  to  all  my  desires, 
but  necessity  compels  me  to  do  it." 

"  I  am  sorry  for  Benjamin,"  continued  Mrs.  Frank 
lin,  "  for  he  has  become  much  interested  in  his 
school,  and  it  will  be  a  great  disappointment  to 
him." 

"  I  thought  of  that  much  before  coming  to 
my  present  decision  ;  but  there  is  no  alternative. 
Providence  seems  to  indicate,  now,  the  course  I 
should  take,  and  I  am  the  more  willing  to  follow, 
because  the  times  do  not  hold  out  so  much  en 
couragement  to  those  who  would  enter  the  service 
of  the  Church.  There  are  many  trials  and  hard 
ships  to  be  met  in  the  work,  and,  at  the  present 
day,  they  seem  to  be  peculiar." 

"  There  are  trials  almost  anywhere  in  these 
times,"  said  Mrs.  Franklin,  "  and  I  suppose  we 
ought  to  bear  them  with  fortitude.  So  far  as  that 
is  concerned,  I  think  Benjamin  will  not  escape  them, 
let  him  follow  what  business  he  may." 

"  True,  very  true,  and  I  trust  that  I  desire  to 
place  him  where  God  would  have  me ;  but  he  has 
certainly  hedged  up  his  way  to  the  ministry." 

This  subject  was  very  thoroughly  considered  be 
fore  it  was  opened  to  Benjamin.  His  father  was 
too  anxious  to  educate  him  to  change  his  purpose 
without  much  patient  thought  and  circumspection. 
Nothing  but  absolute  necessity  induced  him  to  come 


A   CHANGE.  21 

to  this  decision.  The  hard  hand  of  poverty  was  laid 
upon  him,  and  he  must  have  "  bread  before  learn 
ing"  for  his  children. 

One  evening,  as  the  term  of  school  was  drawing 
to  a  close,  Mr.  Franklin  said  to  Benjamin,  — 

"  I  think  I  shall  be  under  the  necessity  of  taking 
you  out  of  school  at  the  close  of  the  term.  The 
times  are  so  hard,  that  I  find,  with  my  best  exer 
tions,  I  can  do  little  more  than  supply  you  with 
food  and  clothes." 

"  And  not  go  to  school  any  more  ? "  anxiously 
inquired  Benjamin. 

"  Perhaps  not.  Such  appears  to  be  your  prospect 
now,  though  I  cannot  say  that  God  may  not  open  a 
way  hereafter  :  I  hope  he  will.  You  are  but  nine 
years  old,  and  there  is  time  yet  for  a  way  to  be  pro 
vided." 

"  Why  can  I  not  attend  school  till  I  am  old 
enough  to  help  you  ? " 

"  You  are  old  enough  to  help  me  now.  I  could 
find  a  plenty  for  you  to  do  every  day,  so  that  you 
could  make  yourself  very  useful." 

In  those  days  boys  were  put  to  work  much  earlier 
than  they  are  now.  They  had  very  small  oppor 
tunities  for  acquiring  knowledge,  and  the  boys  who 
did  not  go  to  school  after  they  were  ten  years  old 
were  more  in  number  than  those  who  did.  Besides, 
the  schools  were  very  poor  in  comparison  with  those 
of  the  present  age.  They  offered  very  limited  ad- 


22  THE    PRINTER-BOY. 

vantages  to  the  young.  It  was  not  unusual,  there 
fore,  for  lads  as  young  as  Benjamin  to  be  made  to 
work. 

"  But  I  do  not  intend  to  set  you  to  work  imme 
diately,"  continued  Mr.  Franklin.  "  You  ought  to 
give  some  attention  to  penmanship  and  arithmetic, 
and  I  shall  send  you  to  Mr.  Brownwell's  writing- 
school  for  a  season." 

"  I  shall  like  that,  for  I  want  to  know  how  to 
write  well.  Some  of  the  boys  no  older  than  I  am 
have  been  to  his  school  some  time." 

"  It  is  equally  important  that  you  learn  to  cipher, 
and  Mr.  Brownwell  is  an  excellent  teacher  of  arith 
metic.  It  will  not  take  you  many  months  to  become 
a  good  penman  under  his  tuition,  and  to  acquire 
considerable  knowledge  of  numbers." 

"  I  care  more  about  writing  than  I  do  about  arith 
metic,'"'  said  Benjamin.  "1  don't  think  I  shall  like 
arithmetic  very  well." 

"  Boys  have  to  study  some  things  they  don't  like," 
responded  his  father.  "  It  is  the  only  way  they  can 
qualify  themselves  for  usefulness.  You  would  not 
make  much  of  an  appearance  in  the  world  without 
some  acquaintance  with  numbers." 

"  I  know  that,"  said  Benjamin  ;  "  and  I  shall  try 
to  master  it,  even  if  I  do  not  like  it.  I  am  willing 
to  do  what  you  think  is  best." 

"  I  hope  you  will  always  be  as  willing  to  yield  to 
my  judgment.  It  is  a  good  sign  for  a  boy  to  accept 


A   CHANGE.  23 

cheerfully  the  plans  of  his  father,  who  has  had  more 
experience." 

Benjamin  was  generally  very  prompt  to  obey  his 
parents,  even  when  he  did  not  exactly  see  the  neces 
sity  of  their  commands.  He  understood  full  well 
that  obedience  was  a  law  of  the  household,  which 
could  not  be  violated  with  impunity  ;  therefore  he 
wisely  obeyed.  His  father  was  a  religious  man, 
quite  puritanical  in  his  views  and  habits,  and  conse 
quently  disposed  to  be  somewhat  exact  in  his  re 
quirements.  Among  other  things,  he  required  his 
children  to  observe  the  Sabbath  by  abstaining  from 
labor  and  amusements,  reading  the  Scriptures,  and 
attending  public  worship.  A  walk  in  the  streets,  a 
call  upon  a  youthful  friend,  or  the  reading  of  books 
not  strictly  religious,  on  Sunday,  was  never  toler 
ated  in  his  family.  A  child  might  wish  to  stay  away 
from  the  house  of  God  on  the  Sabbath,  but  he  did 
not  permit  it.  "  Going  to  meeting"  was  one  of  the 
rules  of  the  family. 

Benjamin  was  reared  under  such  family  regu 
lations.  He  was  expected  to  regard  them  with 
becoming  filial  respect.  Nor  did  he  grow  restless 
and  impatient  under  them,  nor  cherish  less  affec 
tion  for  his  father  in  consequence.  We  have  no 
reason  to  believe  that  he  sought  to  evade  them ;  and 
there  is  no  doubt  that  the  influence  of  such  disci 
pline  was  good  in  forming  his  character.  He  cer 
tainly  loved  and  respected  his  father  as  long  as  he 


24  THE  PRINTEE-BOY. 

lived.  Many  years  thereafter,  when  his  father  was 
old  and  infirm,  he  was  wont  to  perform  frequent 
journeys  from  Philadelphia  to  Boston,  to  visit  him. 
It  was  on  one  of  these  journeys  that  he  rebuked 
the  inquisitiveness  of  a  landlord,  by  requesting  him, 
as  soon  as  he  entered  his  tavern,  to  assemble  all  the 
members  of  his  family  together,  as  he  had  some 
thing  important  to  communicate.  The  landlord 
proceeded  to  gratify  him,  and  as  soon  as  they  were 
brought  together  in  one  room,  he  said,  "  My  name 
is  Benjamin  Franklin ;  I  am  a  printer  by  trade  ;  I 
live,  when  at  home,  in  Philadelphia;  in  Boston  I 
have  a  father,  a  good  old  man,  who  taught  me, 
when  I  was  a  boy,  to  read  my  book,  and  say  my 
prayers ;  I  have  ever  since  thought  it  was  my  duty 
to  visit  and  pay  my  respects  to  such  a  father,  and 
I  am  on  that  errand  to  Boston  now.  This  is  all  I 
can  recollect  at  present  of  myself  that  I  think  worth 
telling  you.  But  if  you  can  think  of  anything  else 
that  you  wish  to  know  about  me,  I  beg  you  to  out 
with  it  at  once,  that  I  may  answer,  and  so  give  you 
an  opportunity  to  get  mo  something  to  eat,  for  I 
long  to  be  on  my  journey  that  I  may  return  as  soon 
as  possible  to  my  family  and  business,  where  I  most 
of  all  delight  to  be."  This  was  a  keen  rebuke  to 
a  landlord  who  was  disposed  to  be  inquisitive,  and 
interrogate  his  guests  in  an  ungentlemanly  way. 
But  we  have  cited  the  incident  to  show  that  the 
filial  love  and  respect  which  Benjamin  had  for  his 


A   CHANGE.  25 

parents  continued  as  long  as  they  lived.  The  last 
act  of  affection  and  reverence  that  he  could  possibly 
perform  to  them  was  cheerfully  made.  It  was  the 
erection  of  a  marble  stone  over  their  remains  in 
Boston,  bearing  the  following  inscription: 

JOSIAH  FRANKLIN 

And 

ABIAH  his  wife 

Lie  here  interred. 

They  lived  lovingly  together  in  wedlock 

Fifty-five  years ; 

And  without  an  estate,  or  any  gainful  employment, 
By  constant  labor,  and  honest  industry 

(With  God's  blessing) 

Maintained  a  large  family  comfortably ; 

And  brought  up  thirteen  children  and  seven  grandchildren 

Reputably. 

From  this  instance,  reader, 
Be  encouraged  to  diligence  in  thy  calling, 

And  distrust  not  Providence. 
He  was  a  pious  and  prudent  man, 
She  a  discreet  and  virtuous  woman. 

Their  youngest  son, 
In  filial  regard  to  their  memory, 

Places  this  stone. 

J.  F.  born  1655;  died  1744.     JEt.  89. 
A.  F.  born  1667  ;  died  1752.     2Et.  85." 

This  stone  had  become  so  dilapidated  in  1827, 
that  the  citizens  of  Boston  supplied  its  place  with  a 
granite  obelisk,  on  which  the  foregoing  inscription 
may  still  be  read. 
2 


26  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

Is  is  good  for  boys,  who  are  very  likely  to  want 
their  own  way,  to  be  obliged  to  obey  exact  rules  in 
the  family.  It  is  a  restraint  upon  their  evil  tenden 
cies  that  tells  well  upon  their  riper  years.  It  was 
to  such  an  influence  that  Sir  Eobert  Peel  felt  much 
indebted  for  his  success  in  life.  As  an  illustration 
of  the  obedience  he  was  obliged  to  practise,  in  com 
mon  with  his  brothers,  he  relates,  that,  in  his  youth, 
a  comrade  called  one  day  to  solicit  their  company 
upon  some  excursion.  He  was  a  young  man  of 
handsome  address,  intelligent,  smart,  and  promis 
ing,  though  quite  accustomed  to  enjoy  much  pas 
time.  He  was  a  fashionable  young  man  for  the 
times,  wearing  "  dark  brown  hair,  tied  behind  with 
blue  ribbon  ;  clear,  mirthful  eyes  ;  boots  which 
reached  above  his  knees  ;  a  broad-skirted,  scarlet 
coat,  with  gold  lace  on  the  cuffs,  the  collar,  and 
the  skirts  ;  and  a  long  waistcoat  of  blue  silk.  His 
breeches  were  buckskin  ;  his  hat  was  three-cornered, 
set  jauntily  higher  on  the  right  than  on  the  left 
side."  His  name  was  Harry  Garland.  To  his  re 
quest  that  William,  Edmund,  and  Robert  might  go 
with  him,  their  father  replied,  "  No,  they  cannot 
go  out."  Although  the  boys  earnestly  desired  to 
go,  they  dared  say  nothing  against  their  father's 
emphatic  "No."  He  had  work  for  them  to  do, 
and  he  never  allowed  pleasure  to  usurp  the  time 
for  labor.  The  result  is  recorded  on  the  page  of 
English  history.  The  three  brothers  of  the  Peel 


A  CHANGE.  27 

family  became  renowned  in  their  country's  bril 
liant  progress.  Harry  Garland,  the  idle,  foppish 
youth,  became  a  ruined  spendthrift.  In  this  way 
the  language  of  inspiration  is  verified.  "  Honor  thy 
father  and  mother  (which  is  the  first  commandment 
with  promise),  that  it  may  be  well  with  thee."  The 
providence  of  God  appears  to  make  it  well  with  the 
children  who  obey  the  commandment.  Not  the 
least  of  their  reward  is  the  respect  and  confidence 
of  mankind  which  their  obedience  secures.  Men 
universally  admire  to  witness  deeds  that  are  prompt 
ed  by  true  filial  love.  Such  an  act  as  that  of  the 
great  engineer,  George  Stephenson,  who  took  the 
first  one  hundred  and  sixty  dollars  he  possessed, 
saved  from  a  year's  wages,  and  paid  off  his  blind 
old  father's  debts,  and  then  removed  both  father 
and  mother  to  a  comfortable  tenement  at  Killing- 
worth,  where  he  supported  them  by  the  labor  of 
his  hands,  awakens  our  admiration,  and  leads  us  to 
expect  that  the  Divine  blessing  will  rest  upon  the 
author. 

"When  the  statue  of  Franklin  was  inaugurated,  in 
1856,  a  barouche  appeared  in  the  procession  that 
carried  eight  brothers,  all  of  whom  received  Frank 
lin  medals  at  the  Mayhew  School  in  their  boyhood, 
sons  of  the  late  Mr.  John  Hall.  They  were  all 
known  to  fame  for  their  worth  of  character  and 
•wide  influence.  As  the  barouche  in  which  they 
rode  came  into  State  Street,  from  Merchants'  Row, 


28  THE  PEINTEK-BOY. 

these  brothers  all  rose  up  in  the  carriage,  uncovered 
their  heads,  and  thus  remained  while  passing  a  win 
dow  at  which  their  excellent  and  revered  mother 
sat,  —  an  act  of  filial  regard  so  impressive  and  beau 
tiful  as  to  fill  the  hearts  of  beholders  with  profound 
respect  for  the  affectionate  sons.  They  never  per 
formed  a  more  noble  deed,  in  the  public  estimation, 
than  this  one  of  reverence  for  a  worthy  parent. 

Benjamin  was  taken  out  of  school,  agreeably  to 
his  father's  decision,  and  sent  to  Mr.  Brownwell,  to 
perfect  himself  in  arithmetic  and  penmanship.  Less 
than  a  year  he  had  attended  the  grammar-school, 
with  little  or  no  prospect  of  returning  to  his  studies. 
But  the  disappointment  was  somewhat  alleviated  by 
the  advantages  offered  at  Mr.  Brownwell's  writing 
class.  Here  he  made  rapid  progress  in  penmanship, 
though  he  failed  in  mastering  the  science  of  num 
bers.  He  had  more  taste,  and  perhaps  tact,  for  pen 
manship  than  he  had  for  arithmetical  rules  and 
problems,  and  this  may  account  for  the  difference 
of  his  improvement  in  the  two  branches. 

We  should  have  remarked  that  Benjamin  en 
deared  himself  to  his  teacher  while  he  was  a 
member  of  the  public  school,  and  it  was  with  re 
gret  that  the  latter  parted  with  his  studious  pupil. 
His  close  attention  to  his  duties,  and  his  habitual 
good  deportment,  in  connection  with  his  progress, 
made  him  such  a  scholar  as  teachers  love. 


IV. 

MAKING  CANDLES, 

WHEN  BENJAMIN  was  ten  years  old  he  had 
acquired  all  the  education  his  father  thought 
he  could  afford  to  give  him.  He  could  write  a  very 
good  hand,  and  read  fluently,  though  his  knowledge 
of  arithmetic  was  very  limited  indeed. 

"  Are  you  about  ready,  Benjamin,  to  come  into 
the  shop  and  help  me  ?  "  inquired  his  father,  at  the 
dinner-table. 

"  Am  I  not  going  to  Mr.  Brownwell's  school  any 
longer  ?  "  he  asked,  instead  of  replying  to  his  fa 
ther's  question,  —  a  Yankee-like  way  of  doing  things, 
truly. 

"  I  think  the  close  of  this  term  will  complete  the 
education  I  am  able  to  give  you,"  replied  his  father. 
"  You  will  fare,  then,  better  than  your  brothers,  in 
respect  to  schooling." 

"  I  rather  not  go  into  the  shop,"  said  Benjamin. 
"  I  think  I  shall  not  like  to  make  candles,  and  I 
really  wish  you  would  engage  in  some  other  busi 
ness." 

"And  starve,  too,"    said  his  father.      "In  such 


30  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

times  as  these  we  must  be  willing  to  do  what  will 
insure  us  a  livelihood.  I  know  of  no  other  busi 
ness  that  would  give  me  a  living  at  present,  cer 
tainly  none  that  I  am  qualified  to  pursue." 

Mr.  Franklin  was  a  dyer  by  trade,  in  England, 
and  designed  to  continue  it  when  he  removed  to 
this  country,  about  the  year  1685.  But  he  found, 
on  arriving  at  Boston,  that  it  would  be  quite  impos 
sible  for  him  to  support  his  family  at  this  trade. 
The  country  was  new,  and  the  habits  of  the  people 
were  different  from  those  of  the  English,  so  that  the 
dyeing  business  could  receive  but  little  patronage. 
The  next  pursuit  that  presented  itself,  with  fair 
promises  of  success,  was  that  of  "  tallow-chandler 
and  soap-boiler,"  —  not  so  cleanly  and  popular  a 
business  as  some,  but  yet  necessary  to  be  done,  and 
very  useful  in  its  place ;  and  this  was  enough  for 
such  a  man  as  Mr.  Franklin  to  know.  He  cared 
very  little  whether  the  trade  was  popular,  so  long 
as  it  was  indispensable  and  useful.  To  him  no 
business  was  dishonorable,  if  the  wants  of  society 
absolutely  demanded  it. 

"  Well,  I  should  rather  make  soap  and  candles 
than  starve,"  said  Benjamin ;  "  but  nothing  else 
could  make  me  willing  to  follow  the  business." 

"  One  other  thing  ought  to  make  you  willing  to 
do  such  work,"  added  his  father.  "  You  had  better 
do  this  than  to  do  nothing,  for  idleness  is  the  parent 
of  vice.  Boys  like  you  should  be  industrious,  even 


MAKING   CANDLES.  31 

if  they  do  not  earn  their  bread.  It  is  better  for 
them  to  work  for  nothing  than  not  to  work  at  all." 

"  I  think  they  better  save  their  strength  till  they 
can  earn  something,"  said  Benjamin.  "  People 
must  like  to  work  better  than  I  do,  to  work  for 
nothing." 

"  You  do  not  understand  me,"  continued  Mr. 
Franklin.  "  I  mean  to  say,  it  is  so  important  for  the 
young  to  form  industrious  habits,  that  they  better 
work  for  nothing  than  to  be  idle.  If  they  are  idle 
when  they  are  young,  they  will  be  so  when  they  be 
come  men,  and  idleness  will  finally  be  their  ruin. 
'  The  Devil  tempts  all  other  men,  but  idle  men  tempt 
the  Devil,'  is  an  old  and  truthful  proverb,  and  I  hope 
you  will  never  consent  to  verify  it." 

Mr.  Franklin  had  been  a  close  observer  all  his  life, 
and  he  had  noticed  that  industry  was  characteristic 
of  those  who  accomplished  anything  commendable. 
Consequently  he  insisted  that  his  children  should 
have  employment.  He  allowed  no  drones  in  his 
family  hive.  All  had  something  to  do  as  soon  as 
they  were  old  enough  to  toil.  Under  such  influences 
Benjamin  was  reared,  and  he  grew  up  to  be  as  much 
in  love  with  industry  as  his  father  was.  Some  of  his 
best  counsels,  and  most  interesting  sayings,  when  he 
became  a  man,  related  to  this  subject.  The  follow 
ing  are  among  the  maxims  which  he  uttered  in  his 
riper  years  :  — 

"  Sloth,  like  rust,  consumes  faster  than  labor 
wears ;  while  the  used  key  is  always  bright." 


32  THE  PKINTER-BOY. 

"  But  dost  thou  love  life  ?  Then  do  not  squan 
der  time,  for  that  is  the  stuff  life  is  made  of." 

"  If  time  be  of  all  things  the  most  precious,  wast 
ing  time  must  be  the  greatest  prodigality." 

"  Sloth  makes  all  things  difficult,  but  industry  all 
easy ;  and  he  that  riseth  late  must  trot  all  day,  and 
shall  scarce  overtake  his  business  at  night ;  while 
laziness  travels  so  slowly,  that  poverty  soon  over 
takes  him." 

"  At  the  working-man's  house  hunger  looks  in, 
but  dares  not  enter." 

"  Diligence  is  the  mother  of  good  luck,  and  God 
gives  all  things  to  industry." 

"  One  to-day  is  worth  two  to-morrows." 

"  Drive  thy  business,  let  not  thy  business  drive 
thee." 

"  God  helps  them  that  help  themselves." 

These  are  very  beautiful  and  expressive  sentences, 
and  they  show  that  Benjamin  Franklin  thought  as 
much  of  industry  in  his  manhood  as  his  father  did 
a  quarter  of  a  century  before.  Take  the  first,  in 
which  he  compares  slothfulness  to  rust,  which  will 
consume  iron  tools  or  machinery  faster  than  their 
constant  use  will.  As  the  use  of  a  hoe  or  spade 
keeps  it  polished,  so  the  habitual  exercise  of  the 
powers  of  human  nature  preserves  them  in  a  good 
condition.  A  key  that  is  cast  aside  soon  rusts,  and 
is  spoiled,  but  "  the  used  key  is  always  bright."  It 
is  more  fit  for  use  because  it  has  been  used. 


MAKING   CANDLES.  33 

How  true  it  is  that  "  hunger  dares  not  enter  the 
working-man's  house"!  By  the  sweat  of  his  brow 
he  earns  his  daily  bread,  and  his  children  do  not  cry 
with  hunger.  It  is  the  lazy  man's  table  that  has  no 
bread.  His  children  rise  up  hungry,  and  go  to  bed 
supperless.  God  himself  hath  said,  "  If  any  would 
not  work,  neither  should  he  eat." 

"  Diligence  is  the  mother  of  good  luck."  An 
other  gem  of  wisdom  that  commands  our  acquies 
cence.  How  common  for  the  indolent  to  complain 
of  "  bad  luck  "  !  Their  families  need  the  necessaries 
of  life,  as  both  a  scanty  table  and  rent  apparel  bear 
witness,  and  they  cast  the  blame  upon  "  ill  luck," 
"  misfortune,"  "  unavoidable  circumstances,"  or 
something  of  the  kind.  Many  men  whose  faces  are 
reddened  and  blotched  by  intemperance,  begotten 
in  the  bar-room  where  they  have  worse  than  idled 
away  days  and  weeks  of  precious  time,  are  often 
heard  to  lament  over  their  "  bad  luck,"  as  if  their 
laziness  and  intemperance  were  not  the  direct  cause 
of  their  misery.  But  it  is  not  often  that  the  diligent 
experience  "  bad  luck."  They  receive  a  reward 
for  their  labors,  and  thrift  and  honor  attend  their 
steps,  according  as  it  is  written  in  the  Bible :  "  The 
soul  of  the  sluggard  desireth,  and  hath  nothing; 
but  the  soul  of  the  diligent  shall  be  made  fat. 
Seest  thou  a  man  diligent  in  his  business  ?  he  shall 
stand  before  kings;  he  shall  not  stand  before 


34  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

But  we  need  not  enlarge  upon  these  sayings  of 
Franklin.  They  are  all  charged  with  wisdom,  and 
might  be  expanded  into  volumes.  The  more  we 
study  them,  the  more  beauty  we  perceive. 

It  was  settled  that  Benjamin  should  assist  his 
father  in  the  manufacture  of  candles,  notwithstand 
ing  his  disinclination  to  engage  in  the  business. 
His  prospects  of  more  schooling  were  thus  cut  off 
at  ten  years  of  age,  and  now  he  was  obliged  to  turn 
his  attention  to  hard  work.  It  was  rather  an  un 
promising  future  to  a  little  boy.  No  more  school 
ing  after  ten  years  of  age !  What  small  opportu 
nities  in  comparison  with  those  enjoyed  by  nearly 
every  boy  at  the  present  day !  Now  they  are  just 
beginning  to  learn  at  this  early  age.  From  ten 
they  can  look  forward  to  six  or  eight  years  of  gold 
en  opportunities  in  the  school-room.  Does  the 
young  reader  appreciate  the  privileges  which  he 
enjoys  ? 

"  To-morrow  for  the  work-shop,  Benjamin  !  "  ex 
claimed  Mr.  Franklin,  with  a  tone  of  pleasantry,  on 
the  evening  before  he  was  initiated  into  the  myste 
ries  of  making  candles.  "  I  am  full  of  business,  and 
need  another  hand  very  much  at  present." 

"  You  can't  expect  much  help  from  me,"  said 
Benjamin,  "  till  I  learn  how  to  do  the  work.  So  I 
am  thinking  you  will  continue  to  be  hurried  for  a 
while,  unless  you  have  another  hand  besides  me." 

"  You  can  do  what  I  shall  set  you  about  just  as 


MAKING  CANDLES.  35 

well  as  a  boy,  or  even  a  man,  who  had  worked  at 
the  business  for  a  year." 

"  I  wonder  what  that  can  be,  that  is  so  easy ! " 
added  Benjamin  with  some  surprise. 

"  You  can  cut  the  wicks,  fill  the  moulds  for  cast- 
candles,  keep  the  shop  in  order,  run  hither  and 
thither  upon  errands,  and  do  other  things  that  will 
save  my  time,  and  thus  assist  me  just  as  much  as  a 
man  could  in  doing  the  same  things." 

"  I  am  sure,"  said  Mrs.  Franklin,  who  had  been 
listening  to  the  conversation  attentively,  "that  is 
inducement  enough  for  any  boy,  but  a  lazy  one,  to 
work.  You  can  make  yourself  about  as  useful  to 
your  father  as  a  man  whom  he  would  have  to  pay 
high  wages." 

"  You  will  aid  me  just  as  much  in  going  of  er 
rands,"  said  his  father,  "  as  in  doing  anything  else. 
I  have  a  good  deal  of  such  running  to  do,  and  it 
you  do  it,  I  can  be  employed  in  the  more  important 
part  of  my  business,  which  no  one  else  can  attend 
to.  Besides,  your  nimble  feet  can  get  over  the 
ground  much  quicker  than  my  older  and  clumsier 
ones,  so  that  you  can  really  perform  this  part  of  the 
business  better  than  I  can  myself." 

Benjamin  made  no  reply  to  these  last  remarks, 
although  he  was  more  favorably  impressed,  after 
hearing  them,  with  the  tallow-chandler's  calling. 
On  the  following  day  he  entered  upon  his  new  voca 
tion,  and,  if  "  variety  is  the  spice  of  life,"  then  his 


36  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

first  day  in  the  shop  had  a  plenty  of  spice.  The 
shop  was  situated  at  the  corner  of  Hanover  and 
Union  Streets,  having  the  sign  of  a  large  blue  Ball, 
bearing  the  inscription : 

1698  JOSIAS 

FRANKLIN  1698. 

He  cut  wicks,  filled  moulds,  performed  errands,  and 
played  the  part  of  general  waiter,  in  which  there 
was  much  variety.  And  this  was  his  work  for  suc 
cessive  weeks,  very  little  of  his  time  running  to 
waste.  Do  you  ask  how  he  likes  it  ?  The  follow 
ing  conversation  with  his  mother  will  answer. 

"I  don't  like  it  at  all,  mother,  —  no  better  than 
I  thought  I  should,"  he  said.  "  I  wish  I  could  do 
something  else." 

"  What  else  is  there  for  you  to  do,  Benjamin  ? " 
replied  his  mother.  "  What  would  you  like  to  do  ?  " 

"  I  would  like  to  go  to  sea." 

"  Go  to  see  what  ?  "  she  inquired,  as  if  she  did  not 
understand  him  at  first. 

"  Go  on  a  voyage  to  Europe,  or  the  East  Indies." 

"  What !  "  exclaimed  his  mother,  exhibiting  sur 
prise,  for  she  had  not  dreamed  that  her  son  had  any 
inclination  to  go  to  sea.  "  Want  to  be  a  sailor  ? 
What  put  that  into  your  head  ?  " 

"  I  have  always  thought  I  should  like  to  go  to 
sea,"  he  answered  ;  "  and  I  am  so  tired  of  making 
candles  that  I  want  to  go  now  more  than  ever." 

"  I  am  astonished,  Benjamin.     You  might  know 


MAKING  CANDLES.  37 

that  I  should  never  give  my  consent  to  that.  I 
should  almost  as  lief  bury  you.  And  how  can 
you  want  to  leave  your  good  home,  and  all  your 
friends,  to  live  in  a  ship,  exposed  to  storms  and 
death  all  the  time  ? " 

"  It  is  not  because  I  do  not  love  my  home  and 
friends,  but  I  have  a  desire  to  sail  on  a  voyage  to 
some  other  country.  I  like  the  water,  and  nothing 
would  suit  me  so  well  as  to  be  a  cabin-boy." 

"  There,  Benjamin,  you  must  never  say  another 
word  about  it,"  continued  his  mother ;  "  and  you 
must  not  think  any  more  about  going  ;  for  I  shall 
never  give  my  consent,  and  I  know  your  father  never 
will.  It  was  almost  too  much  for  me  when  your 
brother  broke  away  from  us,  and  went  to  sea.  I 
could  not  pass  through  another  such  trial.  So  you 
must  not  persist  in  your  wish,  if  you  would  not  send 
me  down  to  the  grave."  And  here  his  mother  al 
luded  to  one  of  the  most  bitter  experiences  of  her 
life,  when  a  son  older  than  Benjamin  became  rest 
less  at  home,  and  would  not  be  persuaded  from  his 
purpose  of  going  to  sea.  It  caused  her  many  un 
happy  hours. 

Benjamin  had  said  nothing  about  this  matter  to 
his  father,  and  this  prompt  veto  of  his  mother  put  a 
damper  on  his  hopes,  so  that  he  continued  to  work 
at  the  shop,  with  all  his  dislike  for  the  business. 
His  parents  talked  over  the  matter,  and  his  father 
was  led  thereby  to  watch  him  more  carefully,  that 


38  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

he  might  nip  the  first  buddings  of  desire  for  the  sea. 
At  length,  however,  Benjamin  ventured  to  make 
known  his  wishes  to  his  father. 

"  I  have  thought,"  said  he,  "  that  I  should  like  to 
go  to  sea,  if  you  are  willing  ;"  and  there  he  stopped, 
evidently  expecting  to  be  refused. 

"  What  has  happened  to  lead  you  to  desire  this  ? " 
inquired  his  father. 

"  Not  anything,"  he  answered.  "  I  always  thought 
I  should  like  it,  —  though  I  have  had  a  stronger 
desire  lately." 

"  I  see  how  it  is,"  continued  his  father.  "  You 
have  been  to  the  water  with  the  boys  frequently  of 
late,  and  I  have  noticed  that  you  loved  to  be  in  a 
boat  better  than  to  make  candles.  I  am  afraid  that 
your  sports  on  the  water  are  making  you  dissatisfied 
with  your  home,  and  that  here  is  the  secret  of  your 
wanting  to  go  to  sea." 

"  No,  father  ;  I  think  as  much  of  my  home  as  I 
ever  did,  and  I  like  a  boat  no  better  now  than  I  did 
the  first  time  I  got  into  one." 

"  Perhaps  it  is  so  ;  but  boys  don't  always  know 
when  they  are  losing  their  attachment  to  home. 
You  need  not  say  another  syllable,  however,  about 
going  to  sea,  for  I  shall  never  consent  to  it.  You 
may  as  well  relinquish  at  once  all  thought  of  going, 
since  I  strictly  forbid  your  laying  any  such  plans. 
If  you  do  not  wish  to  be  a  tallow-chandler,  you  may 
try  some  other  business.  I  shall  not  insist  upon 


MAKDsG  CAXDLES. 

your  working  with  me,  though  I  shall  insist  upon 
your  following  some  calling." 

"I  shall  not  want  to  go  to  sea  against  your 
wishes,"  said  Benjamin.  "  I  only  thought  I  would 
go  if  you  and  mother  were  perfectly  willing.  I  can 
work  at  this  dirty  trade,  too,  if  you  think  it  is  best, 
though  I  can  never  like  it." 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  that  you  have  so  much  regard 
for  your  parents'  wishes.,"  said  his  father.  "  If  your 
brother  had  been  as  considerate,  he  never  would 
have  become  a  sailor.  Children  should  always  re 
member  that  their  parents  know  best,  as  they  have 
had  more  experience  and  time  to  observe.  I  say 
again,  if  you  will  abandon  all  thoughts  of  a  seafaring 
life,  I  will  try  to  find  you  a  situation  to  learn  some 
trade  you  may  choose  for  yourself." 

Benjamin  was  not  disposed  to  enter  upon  a  sail 
or's  life  contrary  to  his  parents'  counsels,  and  he 
submitted  to  his  father's  decision  with  as  much 
cheerfulness  and  good  feeling  as  could  be  expected 
in  the  circumstances.  He  knew  that  it  was  little 
use  to  tease  his  father  when  he  said  "no"  to  a 
project.  His  emphatic  "  no"  usually  put  an  end  to 
all  controversy. 

There  is  little  doubt  that  Benjamin  had  been 
somewhat  influenced  by  his  frolics  in  and  on  the 
water.  For  some  time,  as  opportunity  offered,  he 
had  been  down  to  the  water  both  to  bathe  and  take 
boat-rides.  He  had  become  an  expert  swimmer  in 


40  THE   PRINTEB-BOY. 

a  very  short  time,  and  not  one  of  the  boys  so  read 
ily  learned  to  manage  a  boat.  He  exhibited  so 
much  tact  in  these  water  feats,  that  he  was  usually 
regarded  as  a  leader  by  the  boys,  and  all  matters  of 
importance  were  referred  to  his  judgment.  It  was 
not  strange  that  he  should  be  more  in  love  with  an 
ocean  life  after  such  pastimes  with  his  comrades. 
Whether  he  admitted  it  or  not,  it  is  probable  that 
his  desire  to  go  to  sea  was  greatly  increased  by 
these  pleasant  times  in  and  on  the  water. 

It  was  certainly  a  poor  prospect  that  was  before 
the  young  tallow-chandler.  It  was  not  a  trade  to 
call  into  exercise  the  higher  and  nobler  faculties  of 
the  mind  and  heart.  On  that  account,  no  one  could 
expect  that  Benjamin  would  rise  to  much  distinc 
tion  in  the  world ;  and  this  will  serve  to  awaken  the 
reader's  surprise  as  he  becomes  acquainted  with  the 
sequel.  A  little  fellow,  ten  or  twelve  years  of  age, 
cutting  the  wicks  of  candles,  and  filling  the  moulds, 
does  not  promise  to  become  a  great  statesman  and 
philosopher.  Yet,  with  no  more  promise  than  this, 
some  of  the  most  distinguished  men  commenced 
their  career.  Behold  Giotti,  as  he  tends  his  father's 
flock,  tracing  the  first  sketches  of  the  divine  art  in 
the  sand  with  a  clumsy  stick,  —  a  deed  so  unimpor 
tant  that  it  foreshadowed  to  no  one  his  future  emi 
nence.  See  Daniel  Webster,  the  great  expounder 
of  the  American  Constitution,  sitting,  in  his  boy 
hood,  upon  a  log  in  his  father's  mill,  and  studying 


MAKING  CANDLES.  41 

portions  of  that  Constitution  which  were  printed 
upon  a  new  pocket-handkerchief ;  a  trivial  incident 
at  the  time,  but  now  bearing  an  important  relation 
to  that  period  of  his  life  when  his  fame  extended  to 
every  land.  Kecall  the  early  life  of  Roger  Sher 
man,  -bound  as  an  apprentice  to  a  shoemaker  in 
consequence  of  his  father's  poverty,  with  little  edu 
cation  and  no  ancestral  fame  to  assist  him,  —  how 
exceeding  small  the  promise  that  his  name  would 
yet  be  prominent  in  his  country's  history !  In  like 
manner,  the  little  candle-making  lad  of  Boston,  in 
1717,  scarcely  appears  to  be  related  to  the  philoso 
pher  and  statesman  of  the  same  name,  in  1775. 
But  the  hand  of  God  is  in  the  lives  of  men  as 
really  as  in  the  history  of  nations. 

The  reader  should  not  make  use  of  the  fact  that 
Franklin,  and  other  eminent  men,  enjoyed  small 
opportunities  to  acquire  knowledge,  as  a  plea  that 
he  himself  need  not  be  kept  in  school  for  a  series  of 
years.  We  have  heard  of  one  lad  who  concluded, 
after  reading  "  The  Bobbin  Boy,"  that  it  is  useless 
to  go  to  school  so  much  ;  as  if  the  boy  who  rose  from 
poverty  and  obscurity  to  a  post  of  honor  fared  bet 
ter  than  he  would  have  done  with  higher  culture  in 
early  life.  It  is  true  that  a  little  mental  improve 
ment  may  work  wonders  for  a  person  in  some  cir 
cumstances,  and  it  should  lead  us  to  inquire,  if  a 
little  will  accomplish  so  much,  what  will  greater 
advantages  do  for  him  ?  A  very  little  knowledge  of 


42  THE  PKINTER-BOY. 

electricity  once  saved  the  life  of  Benjamin  Russell 
in  his  youth.  He  was  an  eminent  citizen  of  Boston, 
born  in  the  year  1761,  and  in  his  younger  years  he 
had  learned  from  the  writings  of  Franklin,  who  had 
become  a  philosopher,  that  it  was  dangerous  to  take 
shelter,  during  a  thunder-shower,  under  a  tree,  or 
in  a  building  not  protected  with  lightning-rods. 
One  day,  in  company  with  several  associates,  he  was 
overtaken  by  a  tempest,  and  some  of  the  number 
proposed  that  they  should  take  shelter  under  a  large 
tree  near  by,  while  others  advised  to  enter  a  neigh 
boring  barn.  But  young  Russell  opposed  both 
plans,  and  counselled  going  under  a  large  projecting 
rock  as  the  safest  place.  The  result  showed  that  a 
little  knowledge  of  electricity  was  of  great  service 
to  him  ;  for  both  the  barn  and  the  tree  were  struck 
by  lightning.  But  neither  Benjamin  Russell,  nor 
any  one  else,  from  that  day  to  this,  would  think 
of  saying  that  there  is  no  need  of  knowing  much 
about  electricity,  since  a  little  knowledge  of  it  will 
do  so  much  good.  They  might  say  it  as  reasonably, 
however,  as  a  youth  can  say  that  there  is  no  need  of 
much  schooling,  since  "  The  Bobbin  Boy,"  Benja 
min  Franklin,  and  others,  became  honored  and  use 
ful  though  they  did  not  go  to  school  after  ten  or 
twelve  years  of  age.  The  deep  regret  of  all  this 
class  of  influential  men  ever  has  been,  that  their 
early  advantages  were  so  limited.  George  Stephen- 
son,  who  did  not  learn  to  read  until  he  was  eighteen 


MAKING  CANDLES.  43 

years  old,  felt  so  keenly  on  tins  point,  that,  when  Ms 
own  son  became  old  enough  to  attend  school,  he 
sat  up  nights  and  mended  the  shoes  and  clocks  of 
his  neighbors,  after  having  completed  his  day's 
labor,  to  obtain  the  means  of  educating  him. 


V. 

THE  KOGUE'S  WHAEF. 

"  A  LL  ABOARD  ! "  exclaimed  Benjamin,  and 
JLJL.  so  saying  lie  bounded  into  the  boat  that 
lay  at  the  water's  edge.  "  Now  for  a  ride ;  only 
hurry  up,  and  make  the  oars  fly  ; "  and  several  boys 
leaped  in  after  him  from  the  shaking,  trampled  quag 
mire  on  which  they  stood. 

"  We  shall  be  heels  over  head  in  mud  yet,"  said 
one  of  the  number,  "  unless  we  try  to  improve  the 
marsh.  There  is  certainly  danger  that  we  shall  go 
through  that  shaky  place,  and  I  scarcely  know  when 
we  shall  stop,  if  we  begin  to  go  down." 

"  Let  us  build  a  wharf,"  said  Benjamin,  "  and 
that  will  get  rid  of  the  quagmire.  It  won't  be  a 
long  job,  if  all  take  hold." 

"  Where  will  you  get  your  lumber  ? "  inquired 
John. 

"  Nowhere.  We  don't  want  any  lumber,  for  stones 
are  better,"  answered  Benjamin. 

"  It  is  worse  yet  to  bring  stones  so  far,  and  enough 
of  them,"  added  John.  "  You  must  like  to  lift  better 
than  I  do,  to  strain  your  gizzard  in  tugging  stones 
here." 


THE  ROGUE'S   WHAEF.  45 

"  Look  there,"  continued  Benjamin,  pointing  to  a 
heap  of  stones  only  a  few  rods  distant.  "  There  are 
stones  enough  for  our  purpose,  and  one  or  two  hours 
is  all  the  time  we  want  to  build  a  wharf  with  them." 

"  But  those  stones  belong  to  the  man  who  is  pre 
paring  to  build  a  house  there,"  said  Fred.  "  The 
workmen  are  busy  there  now." 

"  That  may  all  be,"  said  Benjamin,  "  but  they  can 
afford  to  lend  them  to  us  awhile.  They  will  be  just 
as  good  for  their  use  after  we  have  done  with  them." 

"  Then  you  expect  they  will  loan  them  to  you,  I 
perceive  ;  but  I  guess  you  '11  be  mistaken,"  answered 
Fred. 

"My  mode  of  borrowing  them  is  this,  —  we  will 
go  this  evening,  after  the  workmen  have  gone  home, 
and  tug  them  over  here,  and  make  the  wharf  long 
before  bedtime;"  and  Benjamin  looked  queerly  as 
he  said  it. 

"  And  get  ourselves  into  trouble  thereby,"  replied 
another  boy.  "  I  will  agree  to  do  it  if  you  will  bear 
all  the  blame  of  stealing  them." 

"  Stealing  !  "  exclaimed  Benjamin.  "  It  is  not 
stealing  to  take  such  worthless  things  as  stones.  A 
man  could  n't  sell  an  acre  of  them  for  a  copper." 

"  Well,  anyhow,  the  men  who  have  had  the  labor 
of  drawing  them  there  won't  thank  you  for  taking 
them." 

"  I  don't  ask  them  to  thank  me.  I  don't  think 
the  act  deserves  any  thanks,"  and  a  roguish  twinkle 


46  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

of  the  eye  showed  that  he  knew  he  was  doing  wron£ 
And  he  added,  "  I  reckon  it  will  be  a  joke  on  th 
workmen  to-morrow  morning  to  find  their  pile  c 
stones  missing." 

"  Let  us  do  it,"  said  John,  who  was  taken  wit 
the  idea  of  playing  off  a  joke.  "  I  will  do  my  part  t 
carry  the  thing  .through. " 

"  And  I  will  do  mine,"  said  another  ;  and  by  thi 
time  all  were  willing  to  follow  the  example  of  Benjj 
min,  their  leader.  Perhaps  all  were  afraid  to  sa 
"  No,"  according  to  the  dictates  of  conscience,  mr 
that  the  enterprise  was  indorsed  by  one  or  two  o 
their  number.  Boys  are  quite  disposed  to  go  "  wit 
the  multitude  to  do  evil."  They  are  too  cowardl 
to  do  what  they  know  is  right. 

The  salt  marsh,  bounding  a  part  of  the  mill-pon 
where  their  boat  lay,  was  trampled  into  a  complei 
quagmire.  The  boys  were  accustomed  to  fish  ther 
at  high  water,  and  so  many  feet,  so  often  treadin 
on  the  spot,  reduced  it  to  a  very  soft  condition.  ] 
was  over  this  miry  marsh  that  they  proposed  t 
build  a  wharf. 

The  evening  was  soon  there,  and  the  boys  cam 
together  on  their  rogue's  errand.  They  surveyed  th 
pile  of  stones,  and  found  it  ample  for  their  purpos( 
though  it  looked  like  a  formidable  piece  of  work  t 
move  them. 

"  Some  of  them  are  bigger  than  two  of  us  ca: 
lift,"  said  Fred. 


THE  ROGUE'S  WHARF.  47 

"  Then  three  of  us  can  hitch  to  and  carry  them," 
said  Benjamin.  "  They  must  all  be  worked  into  a 
wharf  this  evening.  Let  us  begin, — there  is  no 
time  to  lose." 

"  The  largest  must  go  first,"  said  John.  "  They 
are  capital  ones  for  the  foundation.  Come,  two  or 
three  must  take  hold  of  this,"  at  the  same  time  lay 
ing  hold  of  one  of  the  largest. 

So  they  went  to  work  with  decided  perseverance, 
(the  only  commendable  thing  about  the  transac 
tion,)  sometimes  three  or  four  of  them  working 
away  at  one  stone,  lifting  and  rolling  it  along. 
Benjamin  was  never  half  so  zealous  in  cutting  can 
dle-wicks  as  he  was  in  perpetrating  this  censurable 
act.  He  was  second  to  no  one  of  the  number  in 
cheerful  active  service  on  this  occasion. 

The  evening  was  not  spent  when  the  last  stone 
was  carried  away,  and  the  wharf  was  finished,  —  a 
work  of  art  that  answered  their  purpose  very  well, 
though  it  was  not  quite  so  imposing  as  Commercial 
"Wharf  is  now,  and  was  not  calculated  to  receive  the 
cargo  of  a  very  large  Liverpool  packet. 

"  What  a  capital  place  it  makes  for  fishing !  " 
exclaimed  Fred.  "  It  is  worth  all  it  cost  for 
that." 

"  Perhaps  it  will  cost  more  than  you  think  for 
before  we  get  through  with  it,"  said  John.  "  We 
can  tell  better  about  that  when  the  workmen  find 
their  stones  among  the  missing." 


48  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

"  I  should  like  to  hear  what  they  will  say,"  re 
sponded  Benjamin,  "  when  they  discover  what  we 
have  done,  though  I  hardly  think  they  will  pay  us 
much  of  a  compliment.  But  I  must  hurry  home, 
or  I  shall  have  trouble  there.  Come  on,  boys,  let 
us  go." 

At  this  they  hastened  to  their  homes,  not  design 
ing  to  make  known  the  labors  of  the  evening,  if 
they  could  possibly  avoid  interrogation.  They  knew 
that  their  parents  would  disapprove  of  the  deed, 
and  that  no  excuse  could  shield  them  from  merited 
censure.  It  was  not  strange,  then,  that  they  were 
both  afraid  and  ashamed  to  tell  of  what  they  had 
done.  But  we  will  let  twenty-four  hours  pass.  On 
the  following  evening,  when  Mr.  Franklin  took  his 
seat  at  his  fireside,  Benjamin  had  taken  his  book 
and  was  reading. 

"  Benjamin,"  said  his  father,  "  where  was  you 
last  evening  ?  " 

Benjamin  knew  by  his  father's  anxious  look  that 
there  was  trouble.  He  imagined  that  he  had  heard 
of  their  enterprise  on  the  previous  evening.  After 
some  hesitation,  he  answered,  "  I  was  down  to  the 
water." 

"  What  was  you  doing  there  ?  " 

"  We  were  fixing  up  a  place  for  the  boat." 

"  See  that  you  tell  the  truth,  Benjamin,  and 
withhold  nothing.  I  wish  to  know  what  you  did 
there." 


THE  ROGUE'S  WHAEF.  49 

"  We  built  a  wharf." 

"  What  had  you  to  build  it  with  ?  " 

"  We  built  it  of  stones." 

"  And  where  did  you  get  your  stones  ?  " 

"  There  was  a  pile  of  them  close  by." 

"  Did  they  belong  to  you  ?  " 

"  I  suppose  not." 

"  Did  you  not  know  that  they  belonged  to  the 
man  who  is  building  the  house  ?  " 

"  Yes  sir." 

"  Then  you  deliberately  resolved  to  steal  them, 
did  you  ?  " 

"  It  is  n't  stealing  to  take  stones." 

"  Why,  then,  did  you  take  them  in  the  evening, 
after  the  workmen  had  gone  home  ?  Why  did  you 
not  go  after  them  when  the  workmen  were  all 
there  ?  " 

Benjamin  saw  that  he  was  fairly  caught,  and  that, 
bright  as  he  was,  he  could  not  get  out  of  so  bad  a 
scrape  unblamed.  So  he  hung  his  head,  and  did 
not  answer  his  father's  last  question. 

"  I  see  plainly  how  it  is,"  continued  his  father  ; 
"  it  is  the  consequence  of  going  out  in  the  evening 
with  the  boys,  which  I  must  hereafter  forbid.  I 
have  been  willing  that  you  should  go  out  some,  be 
cause  I  have  thought  it  might  be  better  for  you 
than  so  much  reading.  But  you  have  now  be 
trayed  my  confidence,  and  I  am  satisfied  more  than 
ever  that  boys  should  be  at  home  in  the  evening, 
3  D 


50  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

trying  to  improve  their  minds.  You  have  been 
guilty  of  an  act  that  is  quite  flagrant,  although  it 
may  have  been  done  thoughtlessly.  You  should 
have  known  better,  after  having  received  so  much 
good  instruction  as  you  have  had  at  home." 

"  I  did  know  better,"  frankly  confessed  Benja 
min. 

"  And  that  makes  your  guilt  so  much  the  great 
er,"  added  his  father.  "  Do  you  think  you  will 
learn  a  lesson  from  this,  and  never  do  the  like 
again  ?  " 

"  I  will  promise  that  I  never  will." 

Thus  frankly  did  Benjamin  confess  his  wrong, 
and  ever  after  look  upon  that  act  with  regret. 
In  mature  age  he  referred  to  it,  and  called  it  one 
of  the  first  evil  acts  of  his  life.  It  was  the  second 
time  he  paid  too  dear  for  his  whistle. 

It  seems  that  the  workmen  missed  their  stones, 
when  they  first  reached  the  spot  in  the  morning, 
and  they  soon  discovered  them  nicely  laid  into  a 
wharf.  The  proprietor  was  indignant,  and  exerted 
himself  to  learn  who  were  the  authors  of  the  deed, 
and  in  the  course  of  the  day  he  gained  the  informa 
tion,  and  went  directly,  and  very  properly,  to  their 
parents,  to  enter  complaint.  Thus  all  the  boys 
were  exposed,  and  received  just  rebuke  for  their 
misdemeanor.  Benjamin  was  convinced,  as  he  said 
of  it  many  years  afterward,  "  that  that  which  is  not 
honest,  could  not  be  truly  useful." 


THE  KOGUE'S  WHARF.  51 

We  have  referred  to  Benjamin's  habit  of  reading. 
It  had  been  his  custom  to  spend  his  evenings,  and 
other  leisure  moments,  in  reading.  He  was  much 
pleased  with  voyages,  and  such  writings  as  John 
Banyan's.  The  first  books  he  possessed  were  the 
works  of  Bunyan,  in  separate  little  volumes.  After 
becoming  familiar  with  them,  he  sold  them  in  order 
to  obtain  the  means  to  buy  "  Burton's  Historical 
Collections,"  which  were  small,  cheap  books,  forty 
volumes  in  all.  His  father,  also,  possessed  quite  a 
good  number  of  books  for  those  times,  when  books 
were  rare,  and  these  he  read  through,  although  most 
of  them  were  really  beyond  his  years,  being  contro 
versial  writings  upon  theology.  His  love  of  reading 
was  so  great,  that  he  even  read  works  of  this  charac 
ter  with  a  degree  of  interest.  In  the  library,  how 
ever,  were  three  or  four  books  of  somewhat  different 
character.  There  was  "  Plutarch's  Lives,"  in  which 
he  was  deeply  interested ;  also  Defoe's  "  Essay  on 
Projects."  But  to  no  one  book  was  he  more  in 
debted  than  to  Dr.  Mather's  "  Essay  to  do  Good." 
From  this  he  derived  hints  and  sentiments  which 
had  a  beneficial  influence  upon  his  after  life.  He 
said,  forty  or  fifty  years  afterward,  "  It  gave  me  a 
turn  of  thinking  that  had  an  influence  on  some 
of  the  principal  future  events  of  my  life."  And  he 
wrote  to  a  son  of  Cotton  Mather,  "  I  have  always  set 
a  greater  value  on  the  character  of  a  doer  of  good, 
than  on  any  other  kind  of  reputation  ;  and  if  I  have 


52  THE  PKINTER-BOY. 

been,  as  you  seem  to  think,  a  useful  citizen,  the 
public  owes  the  advantage  of  it  to  that  book."  Some 
of  the  sentiments  of  the  book  which  particularly  im 
pressed  him  were  as  follows  :  "  It  is  possible  that 
the  wisdom  of  a  poor  man  may  start  a  proposal  that 
may  save  a  city,  save  a  nation."  "  A  mean  (hum 
ble)  mechanic,  —  who  can  tell  what  an  engine  of 
good  he  may  be,  if  humbly  and  wisely  applied  unto 
it?"  "The  remembrance  of  having  been  the  man 
that  first  moved  a  good  law,  were  better  than  a 
statue  erected  for  one's  memory."  These,  and 
similar  thoughts,  stimulated  his  mind  to  action, 
and  really  caused  him  to  attempt  what  otherwise 
would  have  been  impossible. 

If  Benjamin  had  been  engaged  as  usual,  in  read 
ing,  on  that  unfortunate  evening,  he  would  have 
escaped  the  guilt  of  an  act  that  turned  out  to  be 
a  serious  matter  rather  than  a  joke.  The  habit  of 
spending  leisure  hours  in  poring  over  books,  has 
saved  many  boys  from  vice  and  ruin.  Many  more 
might  have  been  saved,  if  they  had  been  so  fond  of 
books  as  to  stay  at  home  evenings  to  read.  It  is  an 
excellent  habit  to  form,  and  tends  to  preserve  the 
character  unsullied,  while  it  stores  the  mind  with 
useful  knowledge. 

We  shall  see,  as  we  advance,  that  Benjamin 
became  quite  systematic  and  economical  of  his 
time,  that  he  might  command  every  moment  pos 
sible  to  read.  The  benefit  he  derived  from  the 


THE  ROGUE'S   WHARF.  53 

exercise  when  lie  was  young  caused  him  to  ad 
dress  the  following  letter,  many  years  thereafter, 
to  a  bright,  intelligent  girl  of  his  acquaintance. 
The  letter,  being  devoted  to  "  Advice  on  Read 
ing"  is  a  valuable  one  to  young  persons  now. 

"I  send  my  good  girl  the  books  I  mentioned 
to  her  last  night.  I  beg  of  her  to  accept  of  them 
as  a  small  mark  of  my  esteem  and  friendship. 
They  are  written  in  the  familiar,  easy  manner 
for  which  the  French  are  so  remarkable,  and  af 
ford  a  good  deal  of  philosophic  and  practical 
knowledge,  unembarrassed  with  the  dry  mathe 
matics  used  by  more  exact  reasoners,  but  which 
is  apt  to  discourage  young  beginners. 

"  I  would  advise  you  to  read  with  a  pen  in  your 
hand,  and  enter  in  a  little  book  short  hints  of  what 
you  find  that  is  curious,  or  that  may  be  useful ;  for 
this  will  be  the  best  method  of  imprinting  such  par 
ticulars  on  your  memory,  where  they  will  be  ready 
either  for  practice  on  some  future  occasion,  if  they 
are  matters  of  utility,  or,  at  least,  to  adorn  and  im 
prove  your  conversation,  if  they  are  rather  points  ol 
curiosity ;  and,  as  many  of  the  terms  of  science  are 
such  as  you  cannot  have  met  with  in  your  common 
reading,  and  may  therefore  be  unacquainted  with,  I 
think  it  would  be  well  for  you  to  have  a  good  dic 
tionary  at  hand,  to  consult  immediately  when  you 
meet  with  a  word  you  do  not  comprehend  the  pre 
cise  meaning  of. 


54  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

"  This  may,  at  first,  seem  troublesome  and  inter 
rupting  ;  but  it  is  a  trouble  that  will  daily  diminish, 
as  you  will  daily  find  less  and  less  occasion  for  your 
dictionary,  as  you  become  more  acquainted  with  the 
terms ;  and,  in  the  mean  time,  you  will  read  with 
more  satisfaction,  because  with  more  understanding. 
When  any  point  occurs  in  which  you  would  be  glad 
to  have  further  information  than  your  book  affords 
you,  I  beg  that  you  would  not  in  the  least  appre 
hend  that  I  should  think  it  a  trouble  to  receive  and 
answer  your  questions.  It  will  be  a  pleasure  and 
no  trouble.  For  though  I  may  not  be  able,  out  of 
my  own  little  stock  of  knowledge,  to  afford  you 
what  you  require,  I  can  easily  direct  you  to  the 
books  where  it  may  most  readily  be  found.  Adieu, 
and  believe  me  ever,  my  dear  friend, 

"  B.  FRANKLIN." 


VI. 

TABLE-TALK. 

""X^ES,"    REPLIED   Mr.   Franklin,   to  the  in- 

JL  quiry  of  a  friend  who  was  dining  with  him ; 
"  my  ancestors  were  inured  to  hardships,  and  I  my 
self  am  not  altogether  a  stranger  to  them.  I  never 
had  but  little  opportunity  to  go  to  school,  and  have 
always  had  to  work  hard  for  a  livelihood." 

"  So  much  the  better  for  you  now,"  replied  his 
friend ;  "  for  in  this  new  country,  and  these  hard 
times,  you  cannot  find  the  support  of  a  large  family 
an  easy  matter." 

"  That  is  true ;  but  I  have  never  regretted  com 
ing  to  this  country.  The  liberty  of  worshipping 
God  according  to  the  dictates  of  conscience,  is  one 
of  the  richest  blessings,  and  more  than  compensates 
for  the  trial  of  leaving  my  native  land." 

"  Then  you  experienced  the  rigors  of  intolerance 
there,  in  some  measure,  did  you  ?  " 

"  0  yes  ;  my  forefathers  adhered  to  the  Protestant 
faith  through  the  reign  of  Mary,  and  were  often  in 
great  danger  from  the  bitter  hatred  of  the  Papists. 
I  sometimes  wonder  that  they  did  not  forfeit  their 
lives  in  those  days  of  persecution." 


56  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

"  I  can  relate  to  you  one  interesting  fact,"  inter 
rupted  Uncle  Benjamin,  addressing  himself  to  the 
guest.  "  Our  ancestors  possessed  an  English  Bible, 
which  they  valued  highly,  of  course  ;  but  there  was 
danger  of  losing  it,  through  the  craftiness  and  hostil 
ity  of  the  Papal  powers.  They  held  the  Protestant 
Bible  in  absolute  contempt.  So,  to  conceal  their 
Bible,  at  the  same  time  they  could  enjoy  the  read 
ing  of  it,  they  i  fastened  it  open  with  tapes  under 
and  within  the  cover  of  a  joint-stool.'  When  our 
great-grandfather  desired  to  read  it  to  his  family, 
according  to  his  daily  custom,  '  he  placed  the  joint- 
stool  on  his  knees,  and  then  turned  over  the  leaves 
under  the  tapes.'  While  he  was  reading,  one  of  the 
children  was  stationed  at  the  door  to  give  the  alarm 
if  he  should  see  '  the  apparitor  coming,  who  was  an 
officer  of  the  spiritual  court.'  If  the  officer  was 
seen  approaching,  the  stool  was  immediately  set 
down  upon  its  feet,  and  the  Bible  in  this  way  was 
concealed  from  view.  For  a  considerable  time  they 
were  obliged  to  read  the  Scriptures  in  this  secret 
manner." 

"  But  your  father  was  not  thus  persecuted,  was 
he  ?  "  inquired  the  friend. 

"  He  was  not  persecuted  to  such  a  degree,"  an 
swered  Uncle  Benjamin,  "  though  he  had  some  ex 
perience  of  this  kind ;  and  even  brother  Josias  and 
myself  did  not  escape.  Our  father's  family  contin 
ued  in  the  Church  of  England  till  about  the  end  of 


TABLE-TALK.  57 

Charles  the  Second's  reign,  when  Josias  and  I  joined 
the  Nonconformists,  and  subjected  ourselves  to  much 
contempt." 

"  And  that  is  the  reason  I  am  in  this  country 
now,"  said  Mr.  Franklin.  "  We  enjoyed  few  privi 
leges,  and  frequently  our  religious  meetings  were 
disturbed,  as  they  were  forbidden  by  law.  On  this 
account  some  of  my  acquaintances  resolved  to  re 
move  to  this  country,  and  I  decided  to  join  them." 

"  How  long  ago  was  that  ? " 

"  It  was  about  1685,  so  that  you  will  perceive  I  am 
one  of  the  old  settlers  of  America.  I  have  been  here 
long  enough  to  witness  many  changes,  and  have  no 
desire  to  return  to  my  native  country.  My  children 
can  scarcely  appreciate  how  much  they  enjoy,  in 
comparison  with  the  experience  of  their  ancestors." 

Benjamin  had  often  heard  the  last  remark,  as  a 
reminder  of  his  obligations  to  be  good  and  useful. 
Indeed,  this  whole  tale  of  persecution  he  had  listened 
to  over  and  over,  and  had  heard  his  Uncle  Benja 
min  tell  the  story  of  the  Bible  and  stool  a  number 
of  times.  He  had  come  to  the  conclusion  that  he 
was  faring  better  than  his  father  did,  although  he 
did  not  think  his  own  lot  was  remarkably  nattering. 

This  conversation  at  the  dinner-table  was  a  speci 
men  of  what  frequently  occurred  there  in  the  line 
of  remark.  Mr.  Franklin  was  gratified  to  have  some 
intelligent  friend  at  his  table  with  him,  that  they 
might  converse  upon  some  useful  topics,  for  the 
3* 


58  THE   PKINTER-BOY. 

benefit  of  his  children.  When  he  had  no  guest  at 
his  table,  he  would  call  the  attention  of  his  children 
to  some  subject  that  was  suited  to  improve  their 
minds,  thinking,  at  the  same  time,  that  it  would 
serve  to  draw  off  their  attention  from  their  humble 
fare.  Children  are  quite  apt  to  find  fault  with  the 
food  set  before  them,  and  perhaps  the  reader  himself 
has  more  than  once  fretted  over  an  unpalatable  dish, 
and  teased  for  something  else.  Sometimes  they  beg 
for  an  article  of  food  that  is  not  on  the  table,  declin 
ing  to  eat  what  is  furnished  for  the  family.  It  was 
not  so  at  Mr.  Franklin's  table.  He  did  not  allow 
one  of  his  children  to  complain  of  their  food,  how 
ever  simple  it  might  be  ;  and  his  principal  method  of 
calling  off  their  attention  from  the  quality  of  their 
victuals  was,  as  we  have  said,  to  converse  upon 
some  sensible  theme.  Their  attention  being  directed 
to  other  things,  they  were  seldom  troubled  about 
their  food,  and  became  almost  indifferent  to  the 
kind  of  food  on  the  table.  Benjamin  said,  in  his 
manhood,  on  referring  to  this  subject :  "I  am  so 
unobservant  of  it,  that  to  this  day  I  can  scarce  tell,  a 
few  hours  after  dinner,  of  what  dishes  it  consisted. 
This  has  been  a  great  convenience  to  me  in  travel 
ling,  where  my  companions  have  been  sometimes 
very  unhappy  for  the  want  of  a  suitable  gratifica 
tion  of  their  more  delicate,  because  better  instructed 
tastes  and  appetites." 

The  guests  of  Mr.  Franklin  being  usually  intelli- 


TABLE-TALK.  59 

gent,  their  conversation  was  instructive  to  the  chil 
dren,  who  acquired  thereby  many  valuable  items  of 
information.  The  condition  and  prospects  of  the 
country,  the  oppressive  measures  of  the  English 
government,  and  the  means  of  future  prosperity, 
were  among  the  topics  which  they  heard  discussed. 
Although  it  seems  like  a  small,  unimportant  in 
fluence  to  bring  to  bear  upon  tender  childhood,  yet 
it  left  its  mark  upon  their  characters.  They  had 
more  interest  in  the  public  questions  of  the  day, 
and  more  general  intelligence  in  consequence. 

It  is  related  of  the  Washburne  family,  of  which 
four  or  five  brothers  occupy  posts  of  political  dis 
tinction  in  our  country,  that  in  their  early  life  their 
father's  house  was  open  to  ministers,  and  was  some 
times  called  "the  minister's  hotel."  Mr.  Wash 
burne  was  a  great  friend  of  this  class,  and  enjoyed 
their  society  much.  Nearly  all  the  time,  some  one 
of  the  ministerial  fraternity  would  be  stopping  there. 
His  sons  were  thus  brought  into  their  society,  and 
they  listened  to  long  discussions  upon  subjects  of  a 
scientific,  political,  and  religious  character,  though 
public  measures  received  a  large  share  of  attention. 
The  boys  acquired  some  valuable  information  by 
listening  to  their  remarks,  and  this  created  a  desire 
to  read  and  learn  more  ;  and  so  they  were  started 
off  in  a  career  that  bids  fair  to  reflect  honor  both 
upon  themselves  and  their  country.  Their  early 
advantages  were  few,  but  the  conversation  of  edu- 


60  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

cated  men,  upon  important  subjects,  laid  the  foun 
dation  of  their  eminence  in  public  life. 

"  You  must  give  heed  to  little  things,"  Mr. 
Franklin  would  frequently  say  to  his  sons,  when 
they  appeared  to  think  that  he  was  too  particular 
about  some  things,  such  as  behavior  at  the  table, 
"  although  nothing  can  really  be  considered  small 
that  is  important.  It  is  of  far  more  consequence 
how  you  behave,  than  what  you  wear." 

Sometimes,  if  the  meal  was  unusually  plain  (and 
it  was  never  extravagant),  he  would  say,  "  Many 
people  are  too  particular  about  their  victuals. 
They  destroy  their  health  by  eating  too  much  and 
too  rich  food.  Plain,  simple,  wholesome  fare  is  all 
that  nature  requires,  and  young  persons  who  are 
brought  up  in  this  way  will  be  best  off  in  the  end." 

Such  kind  of  remarks  frequently  greeted  the  ears 
of  young  Benjamin  ;  so  that,  as  we  have  already 
seen,  he  grew  up  without  caring  much  about  the 
kind  of  food  which  he  ate.  Perhaps  here  is  to  be 
found  the  origin  of  his  rigid  temperance  principles 
in  both  eating  and  drinking,  for  which  he  was  dis 
tinguished  all  through  his  life.  In  his  manhood,  he 
wrote  and  talked  upon  the  subject,  and  reduced  his 
principles  to  practice.  When  he  worked  as  printer 
in  England,  his  fellow-laborers  were  hard  drinkers 
of  strong  beer,  really  believing  that  it  was  necessary 
to  make  them  competent  to  endure.  They  were  as 
tonished  to  see  a  youth  like  Benjamin  able  to  excel 


TABLE-TALK.  61 

the  smartest  of  them  in  the  printing-office,  while 
he  drank  only  cold  water,  and  they  sneeringly  called 
him  "  the  Water- American." 

The  temperance  habits  which  Benjamin  formed 
in  his  youth  were  the  more  remarkable,  because 
there  were  no  temperance  societies  at  that  time,  and 
it  was  generally  supposed  to  be  necessary  to  use  in 
toxicating  drinks.  The  evils  of  intemperance  were 
not  viewed  with  so  much  abhorrence  as  they  are 
now,  and  the  project  of  removing  them  from  society 
was  not  entertained  for  a  moment.  Eeformatory 
movements,  in  this  regard,  did  not  commence  until 
nearly  one  hundred  years  after  the  time  referred  to. 
Yet  Benjamin  was  fully  persuaded  in  his  youth 
that  he  ought  to  be  temperate  in  all  things.  Prob 
ably  there  was  not  one  of  his  associates  who  believed 
as  he  did  on  the  subject.  But  he  began  early  to 
think  for  himself,  and  this,  with  the  excellent  dis 
cipline  of  his  wise  and  sagacious  father,  caused  him 
to  live  in  advance  of  those  around  him.  It  is  not 
probable  that  he  adopted  the  principle  of  total  absti 
nence,  and  abstained  entirely  from  the  use  of  intox 
icating  drinks  ;  but  he  was  not  in  the  habit  of  using 
it  as  a  daily,  indispensable  beverage. 

That  the  practice  of  Benjamin's  father,  to  allow 
no  finding  fault  with  the  food  at  the  table,  and  to 
lead  the  way  in  profitable  conversation,  was  a  good 
one,  we  think  no  one  can  deny.  It  was  very  differ 
ent,  however,  from  much  of  the  table-talk  that  is 


62  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

heard  in  families.  Conversation  is  frequently  brisk 
and  lively,  but  it  often  runs  in  this  way  :  — 

"  I  don't  want  any  of  that,  I  don't  love  it,"  ex 
claimed  Henry.  "  I  should  think  you  might  have 
a  better  dinner  than  this." 

"  What  would  you  have  if  you  could  get  it,  — 
roast  chicken  and  plum  pudding  ?  "  inquires  his 
mother,  laughing,  instead  of  reproving  him  for  his 
error. 

"  I  would  have  something  I  can  eat.  You  know 
I  don't  love  that,  and  never  did." 

"  Well,  it  does  boys  good,  sometimes,  to  eat  what 
they  don't  love,  especially  such  particular  ones  as 
you  are,"  says  his  father. 

"  I  sha  n't  eat  what  I  don't  like,  at  any  rate," 
continues  Henry,  "  I  shall  go  hungry  first." 

"  There,  now,"  added  his  father,  "  let  me  hear  no 
more  complaint  about  your  food.  You  are  scarcely 
ever  suited  with  your  victuals." 

"  May  I  have  some  ?  "  calling  for  some  article  not 
on  the  table. 

"  If  you  will  hold  your  tongue,  and  get  it  your 
self,  you  can  have  it." 

"  And  let  me  have  some,  too  !  "  shouts  James,  a 
younger  brother  ;  "  I  don't  love  this,  neither.  May 
I  have  some,  father  ?  " 

"  And  I  too,"  said  Jane,  setting  up  her  plea.  "  I 
must  have  some  if  they  do." 

In  this  way  the  table-talk  proceeds,  until  fretting, 


TABLE-TALK.  63 

scolding,  crying,  make  up  the  sum  total  of  the  con 
versation,  and  family  joys  are  embittered  for  the 
remainder  of  the  day.  Finding  fault  with  food  is 
the  occasion  of  all  the  unhappiness. 

Let  the  reader  ask  himself  how  much  he  has  con 
tributed  to  make  conversation  at  the  table  proper 
and  instructive.  Has  he  thought  more  of  the  qual 
ity  of  his  food  than  of  anything  else  at  the  family 
board  ?  If  the  review  of  the  past  reveals  an  error 
in  this  respect,  let  him  learn  a  valuable  lesson  from 
this  part  of  Benjamin  Franklin's  life.  Though  it 
may  seem  to  be  an  unimportant  matter,  accept  the 
testimony  of  Benjamin  himself,  and  believe  that  it 
leaves  its  impress  upon  the  future  character. 


VII. 

CHOOSING  A  TEADE. 

WILL  have  to  be  a  tallow-chandler  after 
all,  when  your  brother  gets  married  and 
goes  away,"  said  one  of  Benjamin's  associates  to  him. 
He  had  heard  that  an  older  son  of  Mr.  Franklin, 
who  worked  at  the  business  with  his  father,  was 
about  being  married,  and  would  remove  to  Rhode 
Island,  and  set  up  business  for  himself. 

"  Not  I,"  replied  Benjamin.  "  I  shall  work  at  it 
no  longer  than  I  am  obliged  to." 

"  That  may  all  be,  and  you  be  obliged  to  work  at 
it  all  your  life.  It  will  be  as  your  father  says  till 
you  are  twenty-one  years  old." 

"  I  know  that ;  but  my  father  does  not  desire  to 
have  me  work  in  his  shop  against  my  wishes,  only 
till  I  can  find  some  other  suitable  employment.  I 
would  rather  go  to  sea  than  anything." 

"  Are  your  parents  not  willing  that  you  should  go 
to  sea  ? " 

"  No ;  they  won't  hear  a  word  to  it.  I  have 
talked  with  them  about  it  till  it  is  of  no  use.  They 
seem  to  think  that  I  should  be  shipwrecked,  or  that 


CHOOSING  A    TKADE.  65 

something  else   would  happen,  to  prevent  my  re 
turn." 

"  Then,  if  you  can't  go  to  sea,  and  you  won't  be 
a  tallow-chandler,  what  can  you  do  ?  " 

"I  hardly  know  myself;  but  almost  anything  is 
preferable  to  this  greasy  business.  If  people  had 
no  more  light  than  the  candles  I  should  make,  un 
less  I  was  obliged  to,  they  would  have  a  pretty  dark 
time  of  it." 

"  I  don't  think  it  is  a  very  disagreeable  business," 
continued  his  companion.  "  It  is  quite  easy  work, 
certainly,  —  much  more  to  my  liking  than  sawing 
wood,  and  some  other  things  I  could  name." 

"  It  may  be  easy,"  replied  Benjamin  ;  "  but  it  is 
dirty  and  simple.  It  requires  no  ingenuity  to  do  all 
that  I  do.  Almost  any  simpleton  could  cut  wicks 
and  fill  candle-moulds.  A  fellow  who  can't  do  it 
could  n't  tell  which  side  his  bread  is  buttered.  I 
prefer  to  do  something  that  requires  thought  and 
ingenuity." 

"  There  is  something  in  that ;  but  I  guess  it  will 
take  all  your  ingenuity  to  work  yourself  out  of  the 
tallow-chandler's  business,"  responded  his  friend, 
rather  dryly. 

This  conversation  occurred  one  day  in  the  shop 
when  Mr.  Franklin  was  out.  But  just  at  this  point 
he  returned,  and  soon  after  the  young  visitor  left. 
Benjamin  was  not  acquainted  with  all  his  father's 
plans,  and  he  had  actually  proceeded  further  than 


66  THE    PRINTER-BOY. 

he  was  aware  of  towards  introducing  him  into  an 
other  calling,  as  the  following  conversation  with 
Mrs.  F.,  on  the  previous  evening,  will  show:  — 

"  I  have  resolved  to  find  some  other  employment 
for  Benjamin  at  once,"  said  he  ;  "  as  John  is  to  be 
married  so  soon,  he  will  be  able  to  render  me  but 
little  more  assistance,  and  I  must  have  some  one  to 
take  his  place." 

"  Are  you  satisfied,"  inquired  Mrs.  Franklin, 
"  that  Benjamin  cannot  be  prevailed  upon  to  take 
the  place  of  John  in  your  shop  ?  " 

"  0  yes !  he  is  so  dissatisfied  with  the  business, 
that  I  fear  he  will  yet  go  to  sea,  unless  his  attention 
is  soon  turned  to  some  other  pursuit.  Then,  if  he 
has  a  taste  for  any  other  honorable  pursuit,  I  am 
willing  that  he  should  follow  it.  He  would  not 
accomplish  much  at  candle-making  with  his  present 
feelings." 

"  Have  you  anything  in  view  for  him  to  do  ?  " 
asked  Mrs.  F. 

"  Not  positively.  I  want  to  learn,  if  I  can, 
whether  he  has  taste  and  tact  for  any  particular 
business.  If  he  has,  he  will  accomplish  more  in 
that.  I  don't  believe  in  compelling  a  boy  to  follow 
a  pursuit  for  which  he  has  no  relish,  unless  it  is 
where  nothing  else  offers." 

"  I  think  it  is  very  necessary  for  boys  to  have 
a  definite  trade,"  said  Mrs.  F. ;  "  they  are  more 
likely  to  succeed  than  those  who  are  changing  often 


CHOOSING  A   TEADE.  67 

from  one  thing  to  another.     '  A  rolling  stone  gath 
ers  no  moss,'  is  an  old  saying." 

"  That  is  the  principal  reason  for  my  plan  to 
introduce  him  into  some  other  business  soon.  No 
one  feels  the  importance  of  this  more  than  I  do,  and 
I  have  pretty  thoroughly  imbued  the  mind  of  Ben 
jamin  with  the  same  views.  I  think  he  has  a  desire 
to  follow  a  definite  calling,  though  now  his  taste 
seems  to  draw  him  towards  a  seafaring  life." 

Benjamin  could  have  appreciated  this  last  remark, 

if  it  had  been  uttered  in  his  hearing.     For  he  had 

listened  to  so  much  counsel  upon  this  point,  that  he 

had  no  desire  to  run  from  one  thing  to  another. 

And  he  continued  to  cherish  this  feeling.     When  he 

became  a   man,   he  wrote   the   following  maxims, 

among  the  many  of  which  he  was  the  author :  — 

"  He  that  hath  a  trade  hath  an  estate." 

"  He  that  hath  a  calling  hath  an  office  of  honor." 

Here  he  taught  the  same  lesson  that  he  received 

from  the  lips  of  his  father  and  mother  when  he  was 

young.     A  trade  is  the  assurance  of  a  livelihood, 

however  hard  the  times  may  be.     As  a  general  rule, 

they  who  follow  trades  secure  a  living,  when  they 

who  have  none  come  to  want  and  suffer. 

But  to  return.  Mr.  Franklin  rather  surprised 
Benjamin  by  saying,  after  his  associate  left  the  shop, 
"  I  have  decided  to  find  some  other  business  for 
you  immediately,  if  possible.  I  hope  to  find  some 
opening  for  you  to  learn  an  agreeable  trade." 


68  THE  PEINTER-BOY. 

"  Where  shall  you  go  to  find  one  ?  "  inquired 
Benjamin,  scarcely  expecting  to  have  his  wishes 
gratified  so  early.  "  Have  you  any  particular 
trade  in  view  ?  " 

"  No  ;  I  want  to  consult  your  tastes  about  the 
matter  first ;  and  I  propose  to  go  to-morrow  with 
you,  to  see  what  we  can  find." 

"  And  I  go  with  you,  did  you  say  ?  " 

"  Yes  ;  I  wish  to  have  you  witness  some  things 
to  which  I  shall  call  your  attention,  and  decide  for 
yourself  what  calling  to  follow." 

"  Where  will  you  go  ?  "  inquired  Benjamin, 
deeply  interested  in  the  plan,  as  well  he  might  be. 

"  I  shall  not  go  out  of  town.  Boston  furnishes 
good  examples  of  the  different  trades,  and  we  shall 
not  be  under  the  necessity  of  extending  our  re 
searches  beyond  its  limits.  So  to-morrow  I  think 
we  will  start." 

Benjamin  was  delighted  with  the  prospect  of  be 
ing  delivered  soon  from  the  tallow-chandler's  shop, 
and  he  anticipated  the  morrow  with  considera 
ble  impatience.  He  rejoiced  when  the  light  of  the 
next  morning  came  in  at  his  chamber  window,  and 
brighter  and  earlier  he  was  up  to  await  his  father's 
bidding.  Suitable  preparations  were  made,  and 
directly  after  breakfast  they  set  forth  upon  their 
important  errand.  The  first  shop  they  visited  was 
that  of  a  joiner,  where  he  saw  the  plane  and  ham 
mer  used  to  advantage.  He  had  witnessed  such 


CHOOSING    A  TRADE.  69 

labor  before,  and  also  seen  other  employments  to 
which  his  father  called  his  attention  on  that  day ; 
but  he  never  observed  these  different  trades  with 
the  object  which  now  brought  him  to  the  shops. 
Having  spent  some  time  at  the  joiner's  bench,  he 
next  went  to  a  turner's  place  of  business,  where  he 
saw  different  articles  turned  to  order,  in  so  rapid  a 
manner  as  to  surprise  him.  He  was  more  inter 
ested  in  the  turning-lathe,  and  its  rapid  movement, 
than  he  was  in  the  use  of  joiner's  tools.  Passing 
through  a  prominent  street,  after  leaving  the  turn 
er's,  they  came  to  an  unfinished  structure,  on  which 
bricklayers  were  employed.  Here  another  trade 
was  on  exhibition,  and  Benjamin's  attention  was 
called  to  it,  and  the  various  kinds  of  labor  which 
this  class  of  toilers  were  obliged  to  perform  were 
explained  to  him.  In  this  way  they  visited  other 
work-shops,  until  they  had  seen  the  practical  opera 
tions  of  the  different  trades,  and  Benjamin  under 
stood  what  kind  of  toil  each  required.  One  of  the 
last  shops  they  visited  was  that  of  Samuel  Frank 
lin,  a  son  of  Uncle  Benjamin,  and,  of  course,  a 
cousin  of  Benjamin.  He  learned  the  trade  of  cut 
ler  in  London,  and  had  just  come  over  and  estab 
lished  himself  in  Boston.  The  business  of  a  cutler 
is  to  make  knives  and  other  cutting  instruments, 
in  some  respects  a  very  interesting  and  attractive 
trade.  Benjamin  was  evidently  more  pleased  with 
this  kind  of  business  than  any  he  had  seen  on  that 


70  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

day.  Whether  it  grew  out  of  a  boyish  love  for 
jack  knives,  or  was  the  consequence  of  closely  ob 
serving  the  ingenious  modes  of  manufacturing  cut 
lery,  we  need  not  say.  It  is  enough  to  know  that 
he  was  partially  captivated  by  the  trade,  and  before 
they  reached  home  his  father  was  well  satisfied 
which  trade  he  would  select,  though  he  had  not 
questioned  him  at  £fll  on  this  point. 

"  What  trade  have  you  decided  to  follow,  Ben 
jamin  ?  "  inquired  his  mother,  as  they  sat  at  the 
tea-table  ;  and  she  let  fall  a  most  loving  smile  upon 
her  boy. 

"  I  think  any  of  them  are  better  than  making 
candles,"  he  replied,  "  although  I  like  Samuel's 
trade  the  best  of  all." 

"  That  is  just  what  I  expected,"  said  his  father, 
laughingly.  "  I  saw  that  you  fell  in  love  with  his 
work,  and  I  think  myself  that  it  is  a  very  pleasant 
and  promising  business." 

"  So  you  will  decide  to  take  that  trade,  will 
you  ?  "  said  his  mother. 

"  In  preference  to  all  the  trades  I  have  seen  yet," 
replied  Benjamin. 

"He  is  after  a  pocket-knife,"  interrupted  John, 
who  sat  at  the  table,  speaking  in  a  vein  of  pleas 
antry.  "  I  see  clearly  what  has  taken  his  eye." 

"  I  suppose  John  will  never  care  more  about  a 
knife,  now  he  is  going  to  have  a  wife,"  added  Mr. 
Franklin,  addressing  his  remark  to  Benjamin,  in 


CHOOSING    A  TRADE.  71 

order  to  help  him  out  of  the  predicament  into 
which  John's  remark  had  placed  him.  "  But  did 
you  not  like  the  brazier's  business  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir ;  I  liked  it  very  well,  but  not  so  well  as 
I  do  the  cutler's  trade.  If  I  can  have  my  choice,  I 
shall  choose  that,  and  will  begin  to-morrow,  if  you 
are  willing." 

"  I  shall  make  no  objection,  if  that  is  your  decis 
ion,"  replied  his  father.  "  I  want  you  should  weigh 
the  matter  carefully,  however,  and  not  be  hasty 
in  choosing." 

"  It  remains  to  be  seen  whether  Samuel  will  take 
him  as  an  apprentice,"  said  Mrs.  Franklin.  "  Per 
haps  he  may  not  want  one.  He  has  just  com 
menced,  and  cannot  be  doing  much  business  yet." 

"  Father  can  easily  learn  that,"  said  Benjamin. 
"  He  can  see  cousin  Samuel  to-morrow,  and  decide 
the  matter  at  once." 

"  I  will  see  him  to-morrow,"  said  his  father, 
"  and  arrange  for  you  to  go  into  his  shop  if  pos 
sible." 

On  the  following  day,  Mr.  Franklin  called  upon 
Samuel,  his  nephew,  and  made  known  the  wishes 
of  Benjamin.  Although  it  was  a  new  and  unex 
pected  subject,  yet  he  received  it  favorably,  and 
finally  decided  that  Benjamin  might  come  imme 
diately,  and  try  his  hand  at  this  new  business.  He 
thought  it  was  best  for  both  parties  that  no  definite 
agreement  or  bargain  should  be  made  until  Benja- 


72  THE  PEINTEK-BOY. 

min  had  tried  the  work,  to  which  his  father  as 
sented. 

Accordingly,  Benjamin  entered  upon  his  new 
trade  immediately,  and  was  much  pleased  with  it. 
It  was  so  different  from  the  work  of  candle-making, 
and  required  so  much  more  thought  and  ingenuity, 
that  he  was  prepared  to  pronounce  it  "  first  rate." 
It  was  with  a  light  and  cheerful  heart  that  he  went 
to  each  day's  task. 

Mr.  Franklin  acted  wisely  in  consulting  the  in 
clination  of  his  son  about  a  trade.  A  boy  may  have 
more  qualifications  for  one  pursuit  than  another ; 
and  this  will  generally  be  made  manifest  in  the 
bent  of  his  mind.  He  will  exhibit  a  degree  of  tact 
for  one  calling,  while  he  may  be  a  blunderer  at 
almost  anything  else.  This  characteristic  is  more 
remarkable  with  some  boys  than  with  others,  and 
a  disregard  of  it  often  entails  unhappiness  upon  a 
whole  family.  When  Handel,  the  distinguished 
musician,  was  a  child,  his  father  strictly  forbade 
his  listening  to  a  note  of  music,  or  indulging  his 
talent  for  the  art.  Although  he  exhibited  remark 
able  musical  abilities,  his  father  paid  no  regard  to 
the  fact,  but  was  determined  to  rear  him  to  the  pro 
fession  of  law.  He  ordered  all  musical  instruments 
to  be  carried  out  of  the  house,  and  made  it  as  diffi 
cult  as  possible  for  his  son  to  gratify  his  taste  for 
sweet  sounds.  But  through  the  assistance  of  a  ser 
vant,  the  boy  obtained  an  instrument,  which  he  kept 


CHOOSING  A  TEADE.  73 

in  the  garret ;  and  there,  when  opportunity  offered, 
with  the  strings  of  his  "  clavichord  "  so  covered 
with  pieces  of  cloth  as  to  deaden  the  sound,  he 
practised  music  until  he  became  a  proficient  in  har 
mony.    It  was  not,  however,  until  his  father  took 
him  on  a  visit  to  see  an  elder  brother,  who  was  in 
the  family  of  the  Prince  of  Saxe-Weisenfels,  that  he 
became  acquainted  with  the  progress  he  had  made 
in  his  loved  art.     While  there,  he  happened  into 
the  royal  chapel  just  as  the  service  was  closing, 
when  he  glided  up  to  the  organ,  unperceived,  and 
commenced  playing.     The  Prince  was  on  the  point 
of  retiring ;  but  he  stopped,  and  inquired  who  was 
playing.    He  was  told  that  it  was  young  Handel, 
only  seven  years  old  ;   whereupon  the  Prince  or 
dered  that  the  boy  and  his  father  should  be  sum 
moned  into  his  presence.     The  result  of  the  inter 
view  was,  that  the  Prince  arranged  for  Handel  to 
be  placed  for  tuition  under  the  organist  of  Halle 
Cathedral,  where  he  soon  became  renowned.    Pos 
terity  has  not  failed  to  condemn  the  imwise  disci 
pline  of  his  father,  in  disregarding  his  inclination 
for  a  given  pursuit. 

When  Sir  Joshua  Reynolds  was  a  boy,  he  was 
inclined  to  embrace  every  opportunity  to  gratify 
his  taste  for  drawing.  His  father  had  no  sympathy 
with  him  in  thus  spending  his  time,  and  he  sought 
to  repress  his  aspirations  of  this  kind.  One  day  he 
discovered  that  Joshua  had  disfigured  his  exercise- 
4 


74  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

book  with  a  number  of  well-executed  drawings; 
but,  instead  of  encouraging  his  talents  in  this  line, 
he  sharply  rebuked  him,  and  wrote  underneath  the 
sketches,  "  Done  by  Joshua  out  of  pure  idleness." 
His  father  was  anxious  that  he  should  become  a 
physician,  and  therefore  he  looked  with  no  favor 
upon  his  propensity  for  drawing.  But  for  the  irre 
pressible  power  of  genius,  his  unwise  father  would 
have  deprived  the  world  of  one  of  its  most  gifted 
painters. 

The  father  of  John  Smeaton  pursued  a  like  cen 
surable   course   in   the   discipline  of  his  son.     He 
frowned  upon  those  early  developments  of  genius 
that  foreshadowed  the  renowned  engineer  that  he 
became.     When  only  four  or  five  years  of  age,  he 
was  often  seen  dividing  circles  and  squares.     He 
'  rejected  the  toys  that  other  children  used,  prefer 
ring  tools  with  which  he  could  construct  machines. 
When  only  six  or  seven  years  of  age,  he  was  dis 
covered  on  the  roof  of  the  barn,  much  to  the  con 
sternation  of  his  father  and  mother,  fixing  up  a 
windmill  of  his  own  construction.     Soon  afterwards 
he  saw  some  men  repairing  a  pump,  and,  procuring 
of  them  a  piece  of  bored  pipe,  he  made  one  of  his 
own,  with  which  he  could  raise  water.     At  fourteen 
years  of  age  he  made  an  engine  to  turn  rose-work, 
and  many  were  his  presents  of  boxes  of  wood  and 
ivory  turned  by  himself.     He  made  all  his  tools  for 
working  wood,  ivory,  and  metals.     He  also  invented 


CHOOSING  A  TRADE.  75 

a  lathe  for  cutting  a  perpetual  screw  in  brass.  And 
yet  liis  father  was  determined  to  make  a  lawyer  of 
him,  and  thus  spoil  the  mechanic.  He  actually  dis 
regarded  all  these  proofs  of  mechanical  genius,  and 
sent  him  to  London  to  be  educated  for  the  bar  ;  and 
it  was  not  until  his  father  began  to  see  the  impossi 
bility  of  making  a  good  attorney  of  him,  that  he 
consented  to  let  him  follow  the  profession  which  the 
bent  of  his  genius  plainly  marked  out. 

The  father  of  Benjamin  Franklin  acted  more 
wisely  in  the  first  place,  and  resolved  to  educate 
him  in  that  pursuit  for  which  nature  had  best 
qualified  him. 


VIII. 

THE  PEINTEK-BOY, 

AFTER  BENJAMIN  had  worked  at  cutlery  a 
suitable  time,  his  father  went  to  close  the 
bargain,  and  make  out  the  papers  for  his  appren 
ticeship.  But,  to  his  surprise,  his  nephew  de 
manded  such  conditions  that  Mr.  Franklin  could 
not  think  of  accepting  his  proposition  ;  and  the 
result  was,  that  he  took  Benjamin  away,  much  to 
his  disappointment.  The  boy  submitted  to  his  fa 
ther's  decision,  however,  with  true  filial  obedience, 
evidently  believing  that  he  had  good  reasons  for 
taking  such  a  stand.  Now  he  was  neither  a  tallow- 
chandler  nor  a  cutler,  though  not  destined  to  be 
long  without  employment. 

Just  before  this  juncture,  as  if  Providence  or 
dered  events  on  Benjamin's  account,  his  brother 
James  returned  from  England,  where  he  learned 
the  printer's  trade.  He  brought  with  him  a  good 
press,  and  type,  in  order  to  establish  himself  in 
Boston. 

"  How  would  you  like  to  learn  the  printer's 
trade  with  your  brother  James  ? "  inquired  Mr. 


THE  PRINTER-BOY.  77 

Franklin  of  Benjamin.  "  I  have  been  thinking  that 
it  was  a  good  thing  you  did  not  continue  the  cut 
lery  business,  because  you  have  superior  qualifica 
tions  for  this." 

"  What  qualifications  have  I  for  this  that  I  have 
not  for  the  cutler's  trade  ?"  asked  Benjamin. 

"  You  are  a  good  reader,  and  have  an  intellectual 
turn,  being  fond  of  books,  and  such  things  belong 
ing  to  mental  improvement  as  the  trade  of  printer 
offers." 

"  I  think  I  should  like  the  business  very  well," 
added  Benjamin.  "  Perhaps  I  should  have  a  better 
opportunity  to  read  than  I  should  with  cousin  Sam 
uel." 

"  Of  course  you  would.  For  the  very  matter  you 
may  be  required  to  put  into  type  may  be  as  interest 
ing  and  profitable  as  anything  you  could  find  in  a 
book.  All  that  you  read  in  books  went  through  the 
printer's  hand  first." 

"  I  had  not  thought  of  that  before.  I  think  I 
should  like  the  business  better  than  almost  any 
thing  I  know  of.  How  long  will  it  take  to  learn 
the  trade  ? " 

"  It  will  take  some  time,"  answered  Mr.  Franklin. 
"  You  are  now  twelve  years  of  age,  and  you  can  cer 
tainly  acquire  the  best  knowledge  of  the  business  by 
the  time  you  are  twenty-one  years  old." 

"  That  is  a  long  time,"  said  Benjamin  ;  "  but  I 
shall  do  what  you  think  is  best." 


78  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

"  I  want  you  should  think  it  is  best,  too,"  said 
his  father.  "  If  you  have  no  inclination  to  be  a 
printer,  I  do  not  wish  to  have  you  undertake  it.  I 
have  no  confidence  that  you  will  succeed  in  any 
business  for  which  you  have  no  taste." 

"  Well,  I  think  better  of  this  business  now  than 
I  do  of  any  other,"  replied  Benjamin,  "  and  I 
should  like  to  try  it." 

"  I  will  speak  with  James  about  it,"  said  his 
father,  "  and  see  what  arrangements  can  be  made. 
The  prospects  of  the  business  are  not  very  flatter 
ing  at  present,  but  I  think  the  day  is  coming  when 
it  will  thrive." 

Mr.  Franklin  lost  no  time  in  consulting  James, 
who  favored  the  plan  without  any  reserve.  He 
proposed  to  take  Benjamin  as  an  apprentice,  to 
serve  until  he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age,  having 
only  his  board  and  clothes  until  the  last  year,  when 
he  would  receive  journeyman's  wages.  This  was 
a  good  opportunity  on  the  whole,  for  printing  was 
in  its  infancy  in  this  country  at  that  time.  It  is 
probable  that  not  more  than  six  or  eight  persons 
had  been  in  the  business  in  Boston  before  James 
Franklin  commenced,  in  the  year  1717.  The  de 
mand  for  printing  must  have  been  very  small 
indeed. 

"When  Mr.  Franklin  first  made  known  to  Benja 
min  the  conditions  on  which  James  would  receive 
him  into  the  printing-office,  and  that  he  would 


THE  PKINTER-BOY.  79 

be  expected  to  sign  the  indenture,  and  leave  his 
father's  roof  for  such  a  boarding-place  as  his  broth 
er  might  provide,  he  hesitated  about  taking  the 
step.  He  stated  his  objections  frankly  and  fully 
to  his  father,  who  removed  them  without  much 
difficulty,  so  that  the  writings  were  drawn  up,  and 
Benjamin  placed  his  signature  to  them,  and  was 
henceforth  a  "  Boston  printer's  boy." 

He  had  not  labored  long  at  the  business  before 
he  was  quite  fascinated  with  it.  He  liked  it  better 
even  than  he  expected.  He  exhibited,  too,  a  good 
degree  of  tact  for  it,  and  his  progress  in  learning 
the  art  was  rapid.  His  brother  was  highly  grati 
fied  with  his  close  attention  to  his  business,  and 
commended  him  for  the  use  he  made  of  his  leisure 
moments  in  reading.  He  was  introduced  now  to 
another  class  of  acquaintances,  so  that  his  opportu 
nities  for  getting  books  to  read  were  more  favorable. 
The  printing-office  was  frequented  by  booksellers' 
apprentices,  whose  employers  necessarily  wanted 
jobs  of  printing  done.  Through  them  Benjamin 
was  made  acquainted  with  the  limited  stock  of 
books  the  market  afforded . 

"  I  will  lend  you  that  book  to-night,"  said  one 
of  these  apprentices  to  him,  "  if  you  will  return  it 
clean  in  the  morning,"  alluding  to  a  certain  vol 
ume  which  Benjamin  was  looking  over  in  the  book 
store. 

"  I  should  be  glad  to  read  it,"  answered  Benja- 


80  THE  PKINTER-BOY. 

min  ;  "  I  think  I  can  read  it  through  before  I  go 
to  bed,  and  so  return  it  in  the  morning  when  I  go 
to  the  office." 

"  You  won't  have  much  time  left  for  sleep,  if  you 
read  that  book  through  before  you  go  to  bed,"  said 
the  apprentice. 

"  Perhaps  not ;  but  I  can  afford  to  make  a  short 
night's  rest  of  it,  if  I  can  have  the  reading  of  this 
book.  I  shall  not  mind  that,  and  I  can  return  it 
without  a  blemish." 

"  The  book  is  for  sale,"  continued  the  apprentice, 
"  and  we  might  have  a  call  for  it  to-morrow,  or  I 
would  let  you  keep  it  longer.  If  you  do  not  read 
it  all  to-night,  and  we  do  not  sell  it  to-morrow,  you 
can  take  it  home  with  you  again  to-morrow  night. 
I  frequently  read  a  volume  through,  a  little  at  a 
time,  before  we  have  a  chance  to  sell  it." 

"  You  may  be  sure  of  having  this  in  the  morn 
ing,  safe  and  sound,"  said  Benjamin,  as  he  left  the 
store,  thanking  his  friend  for  the  kind  favor. 

He  went  home,  and  sat  up  most  of  the  night  to 
read  the  book,  being  more  deeply  interested  in  its 
contents  than  he  was  in  pleasant  dreams.  A  short 
nap,  after  the  volume  was  finished,  was  all  that 
time  could  afford  him  ;  and  the  bookseller  got  his 
book,  and  the  printing-office  its  apprentice,  in  good 
season. 

This  was  but  a  single  instance  of  the  favors  he 
received  in  this  way  from  his  new  acquaintances  in 


THE  PRINTER-BOY.  81 

the  book  business.  Many  nights  he  stole  from  Mor 
pheus,  that  he  might  read  volumes  which  he  must 
return  in  the  morning.  In  this  way  his  mind  was 
much  improved,  so  that  he  began  to  be  noticed  in 
the  office  as  a  boy  of  great  promise.  One  day  Mr. 
Matthew  Adams,  a  merchant  of  rank  and  influence, 
who  had  been  attracted  by  Benjamin's  appearance, 
said  to  him  :  "  Do  you  find  time  to  read  any,  with 
all  the  work  you  have  to  perform  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,"  replied  Benjamin  ;  "  I  read  evenings, 
and  occasionally  find  a  little  time  during  the  day." 

"  It  is  an  excellent  plan  for  boys  to  improve  their 
minds,"  said  Mr.  Adams  ;  "  you  will  never  regret 
spending  your  time  in  this  way.  I  should  be  glad 
to  show  you  my  library,  and  to  loan  you  any  books 
you  may  be  interested  to  read." 

"  That  is  what  I  should  like,"  said  Benjamin, 
evidently  delighted  with  this  unexpected  offer  ;  "  I 
find  it  difficult  to  get  all  the  books  I  want." 

"  It  would  afford  me  great  pleasure  to  assist  you 
what  little  I  can  in  this  respect,"  repeated  Mr.  Ad 
ams.  "  Boys  who  are  not  privileged  to  go  to  school 
need  such  favors,  and  I  am  glad  to  see  that  you  are 
disposed  to  accept  of  them." 

Benjamin  thanked  him  for  his  kindness,  and  as 
sured  him  that  he  should  embrace  the  first  opportu 
nity  to  call  at  his  house.  He  redeemed  his  prom 
ise  at  his  earliest  convenience,  and  Mr.  Adams  re 
ceived  him  with  genuine  cordiality.  He  showed 
4*  F 


82  THE   PRINTER-BOY. 

him  his  library,  and  allowed  him  to  select  any  book 
he  preferred  to  carry  home,  and  invited  him  to 
come  as  often  as  he  pleased  for  others.  This  was 
a  brimful  cup  of  kindness  to  Benjamin,  and  the 
reader  may  be  sure  that  he  thought  highly  of  Mr. 
Adams.  Nor  was  he  backward  in  availing  himself 
of  the  privilege  offered,  but  went  often  to  gratify  his 
thirst  for  knowledge. 

The  reader  can  scarcely  appreciate  the  value  of 
this  privilege  to  Benjamin,  unless  he  understands 
that  books  were  far  from  being  abundant  then. 
The  bookstores,  instead  of  being  furnished  with 
thousands  of  volumes  to  suit  every  taste  in  the  read 
ing  world,  offered  only  a  meagre  collection  of  vol 
umes,  such  as  would  hardly  be  noticed  at  the  pres 
ent  time.  There  were  no  large  publishing  houses, 
manufacturing  many  cords  of  books  in  a  year,  and 
scattering  them  over  the  land,  as  is  the  case  with 
some  publishers  in  our  country  to-day.  Neither 
were  there  any  libraries  at  that  time.  The  idea  of 
a  collection  of  books  to  loan  for  the  public  good 
had  not  entered  the  minds  of  men,  —  a  striking 
contrast  with  this  feature  of  society  now,  when  a 
city  like  Boston  opens  its  splendid  Public  Library 
of  seventy-five  thousand  volumes,  and  constantly 
increasing,  free  to  all  her  citizens,  and  smaller 
towns  and  villages  throughout  the  land  furnish 
reading  matter  for  old  and  young  in  similar  propor 
tion  ;  and  private  libraries  of  five,  ten,  twenty,  and 


THE  PRINTER-BOY.  83 

thirty  thousand  volumes  are  not  unusual.  Now, 
the  trouble  with  boys  is  not  how  they  can  possibly 
get  books  to  read,  but  what  they  shall  select  from 
the  vast  number  that  load  the  shelves  of  libraries 
and  bookstores. 

Neither  were  there  any  benevolent  societies  in  his 
day,  furnishing  books  at  a  reduced  price,  like  the 
American  Tract  Society,  which  has  issuedy?/fo/  thou 
sand  publications  per  day,  four  thousand  of  which 
are  volumes.  This  amounts  to  twenty-four  thou 
sand  books  a  week,  and  ONE  MILLION  TWO  HUNDRED 
FORTY-EIGHT  THOUSAND  a  year !  Two  hundred  and 
forty-nine  libraries,  of  five  thousand  volumes  each, 
in  one  year,  from  the  press  of  one  benevolent  insti 
tution  ! 

The  habit  of  reading  which  Benjamin  had  thus 
early  formed  served  to  make  him  punctual.  In 
order  to  command  the  more  time,  he  was  promptly 
at  his  work,  and  efficiently  discharged  every  duty. 
He  was  not  often,  if  ever,  caught  in  tardiness.  It 
was  this  well-formed  habit  of  punctuality  that  made 
him  so  reliable  in  the  printing-office.  His  brother 
knew  that  he  would  be  there  at  such  a  time,  and 
that  he  would  remain  just  so  many  hours.  This 
fact  won  his  confidence,  as  it  does  the  confidence  of 
every  one.  There  is  no  quality  that  does  more  to 
gain  a  good  name  for  an  individual,  and  inspire  the 
confidence  of  his  fellow-men,  than  this  one  of  punc 
tuality.  It  is  so  generally  found  in  company  with 


84  THE  PEINTEE-BOY. 

other  excellent  traits  of  character,  that  it  seems  to 
be  taken  for  granted,  usually,  that  the  punctual 
person  is  worthy  in  other  respects.  This  quality 
contributed  to  the  renown  and  influence  of  Lord 
Brougham,  of  whom  it  is  said,  that,  when  he  was  in 
the  zenith  of  his  glory,  presiding  in  the  House  of 
Lords  and  the  Court  of  Chancery,  he  found  time  to 
manage  eight  or  ten  public  associations,  —  one  of 
which  was  the  Society  for  the  Diffusion  of  Useful 
Knowledge,  —  and  he  was  a  pattern  of  punctuality 
in  every  place,  being  always  in  the  chair  when  the 
hour  for  meeting  arrived. 


IX. 

FIEST  LITEEAEY  ENTEEPEISE, 

"  "VYTHAT  HAVE  you  there  ?  "  inquired  James, 
T  T  at  one  time,  looking  over  Benjamin's  shoul 
der  at  some  composition  which  he  held  in  his  hand. 
"  Ay  !  poetry,  is  it  ?  Then  you  are  a  poet,  are  you  ? 
Let  me  read  it." 

Benjamin  rather  hesitated  to  exhibit  the  first 
attempts  of  his  muse  to  fly,  but  James  was  deter 
mined  to  read  it,  and  so  he  gave  it  up  to  him,  say 
ing,  "  I  was  only  seeing  what  I  could  do." 

The  fact  was,  Benjamin  had  been  reading  poetry 
considerably  of  late,  and,  having  a  little  of  its  spirit 
in  his  own  nature,  he  was  tempted  to  try  his  ability 
at  writing  some. 

"  That  is  really  good,"  said  James,  after  he  had 
read  it ;  "  not  quite  equal  to  Virgil  or  Homer,  but 
very  good  for  a  printer-boy  to  write.  Have  you 
any  other  pieces?" 

"  Two  or  three  more,"  answered  Benjamin,  some 
what  encouraged  by  his  brother's  commendation; 
"but  they  are  not  worth  reading." 

"  Produce  them,"  said  James,  "  and  I  will  tell 


86  THE  PKINTER-BOY. 

you  what  they  are  worth."  Whereupon  Benjamin 
took  two  or  three  more  from  his  pockets,  which 
James  read  with  evident  satisfaction. 

"  I  tell  you  what  it  is,  Benjamin,"  said  James, 
after  having  read  them  all,  "you  can  write  some 
thing  worth  printing  if  you  try ;  and  if  you  will 
undertake  it,  you  may  print  and  sell  a  sheet  in  the 
streets.  I  have  no  doubt  that  it  would  sell  well." 

"  I  will  see  what  I  can  do,"  replied  Benjamin, 
"  though  I  suspect  my  poetry  won't  read  very  well 
in  print." 

Benjamin  was  not  long  in  producing  two  street 
ballads,  better,  perhaps,  than  anything  he  had  writ 
ten  before,  but  still  susceptible  of  very  great  im 
provement.  One  was  entitled  "  The  Light-house 
Tragedy,"  and  was  founded  on  the  shipwreck  of 
Captain  Worthilake  and  his  two  daughters.  The 
other  was  a  sailor's  song,  on  the  capture  of  the  fa 
mous  "  Teach,"  or  "  Bluebeard,"  the  pirate.  James 
read  them  with  approbation. 

"  Now,"  said  he,  "  you  shall  put  them  into  type, 
and  sell  them  about  the  town,  if  you  are  willing.  I 
have  no  doubt  that  a  good  number  of  them  may  be 
disposed  of." 

"  How  many  copies  of  them  would  you  print  ?  " 
inquired  Benjamin. 

"  We  can  print  a  few  to  begin  with,  and  let  the 
type  remain  standing  until  we  see  how  they  go. 
Then  we  shall  run  no  risk." 


FIKST   LITER AKY  ENTERPRISE.  87 

• «  Shall  I  do  it  immediately  ?  " 

As  soon  as  you  can,"  answered  James.     "The 
quicker  the  better." 

Benjamin  was  not  long  in  printing  the  two  bal 
lads,  and  having  them  ready  for  sale.     Under  the 
direction  of  his  brother,  he  went  forth,  in  due  time, 
to  offer  them  about  the  town..   Whether  he  cried 
them  about  the  streets,  as  the  newsboys  do  the  daily 
papers  now,  we  have  no  means  of  knowing.     But  he 
met  with  very  good  success,  particularly  in  the  sale 
of  the    first,    "The   Light-house   Tragedy."     That 
commemorated  an  event  of  recent  occurrence,  and 
which  excited  much  public  feeling  and  sympathy  at 
the  time,  so  that  peopte  were  quite  prepared  to  pur 
chase.     It  sold  even  beyond  his  expectations,  and 
his  success  inflated  his  vanity  somewhat.     It  caused 
him  to  believe,  almost,  that  he  was  a  genuine  poet, 
and  that  distinction  and  a  fortune  were  before  him. 
If  he  had  not  been  confronted  by  his  father  on  the 
subject,   it  is   possible   that  the  speculation  might 
have  proved  a  serious  injury  to  him.    But  his  father 
learned   of  his  enterprise,   and   called  him  to   an 
account.     Perhaps  he  stepped  into  his  shop,  as  he 
was  selling  them  about  town,  and  gave  him  a  copy. 
At  any  rate,  his  father  learned  of  the  fact,  and  the 
following  interview  will  show  what  he  thought  of  it. 
"  I  am  ashamed  to  see  you  engaged  in  such  a 
business,  Benjamin,"  said  he. 
"  Why  so,  father  ?  " 


88 


THE   PRINTER-BOY. 


"  Because  it  is  not  an  honorable  business.  You 
are  not  a  poet,  and  can  write  nothing  worthy  of 
being  printed." 

"  James  approved  of  the  pieces,"  said  Benjamin, 
"  and  proposed  that  I  should  print  and  sell  them." 

"James  is  not  a  judge  of  poetry,"  replied  his 
father.  "It  is  wretched  stuff,  and  I  am  ashamed 
that  you  are  known  as  the  author.  Look  here,  let 
me  show  you  wherein  it  is  defective  ; "  and  here 
Mr.  Franklin  began  to  read  it  over  aloud,  and  to 
criticise  it.  He  was  a  man  of  sound  sense,  and 
competent  to  expose  the  faults  of  such  a  composi 
tion.  He  proceeded  with  his  criticisms,  without 
sparing  the  young  author's  feelings  at  all,  until 
Benjamin  himself  began  to  be  sorry  that  he  had 
undertaken  the  enterprise. 

"  There,  I  want  you  should  promise  me,"  said 
his  father,  "  that  you  will  never  deal  in  such 
wares  again,  and  that  you  will  stick  to  your 
business  of  setting  up  type." 

"  Perhaps  I  may  improve  by  practice,"  said 
Benjamin,  "  so  that  I  may  yet  be  able  to  write 
something  worthy  of  being  read.  You  could  n't 
expect  me  to  write  very  well  at  first." 

"  But  you  are  not  a  poet,"  continued  Mr.  Frank 
lin.  "  It  is  not  in  you,  and,  even  if  it  was,  I  should 
not  advise  you  to  write  it ;  for  poets  are  generally 
beggars,  —  poor,  shiftless  members  of  society." 

"  That   is    news   to    me,"   responded   Benjamin. 


FIRST   LITEEAKY  ENTERPRISE.  89 

"How   does   it  happen,  then,  that   some  of  their 
works  are  so  popular  ?  " 

"  Because  a  true  poet  can  write  something  worthy 
of  being  read,  while  a  mere  verse-maker,  like  your 
self,  writes  only  doggerel,  that  is  not  worth  the 
paper  on  which  it  is  printed.  Now  I  advise  you  to 
let  verse-making  alone,  and  attend  closely  to  your 
business,  both  for' your  own  sake  and  your  broth 
er's." 

Mr.  Franklin  was  rather  severe  upon  Benjamin, 
although  what  he  said  of  his  verses  was  true.  Still, 
it  was  a  commendable  effort  in  the  boy  to  try  to  im 
prove  his  mind.  Some  of  the  best  poets  who  have 
lived  wrote  mere  doggerel  when  they  began.  Also, 
many  of  our  best  prose-writers  were  exceedingly 
faulty  writers  at  first.  It  is  a  noble  effort  of  a  boy  to 
try  to  put  his  thoughts  into  writing.  If  he  does  not 
succeed  in  the  first  instance,  by  patience,  energy, 
and  perseverance  he  may  triumph  at  last.  Ben 
jamin  might  not  have  acted  wisely  in  selling  his 
verses  about  town,  but  his  brother,  so  much  older 
and  more  experienced  than  himself,  should  bear  the 
censure  of  that,  since  it  was  done  by  his  direction. 

The  decided  opposition  that  Mr.  Franklin  showed 
to  verse-making  put  a  damper  upon  Benjamin's  po 
etical  aspirations.  The  air-castle  that  his  youthful 
imagination  had  built,  in  consequence  of  the  rapid 
sale  of  his  literary  wares,  tumbled  to  ruin  at  once. 
He  went  back  to  the  office  and  his  work  quite  crest 
fallen. 


90  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

"  What  has  happened  now?  "  inquired  James,  no 
ticing  that  Benjamin  looked  somewhat  less  smiling 
and  wide  awake  than  he  did. 

"  Father  does  n't  think  much  of  my  printing  and 
selling  verses  of  my  own,"  replied  Benjamin.  "  He 
has  been  giving  me  a  real  lecture,  so  that  I  am  al 
most  ashamed  of  myself." 

"How  is  that?"  said  James,  "does  he  dislike 
your  pieces  ? " 

"  Yes  ;  and  he  will  not  allow  that  they  have  any 
merit.  He  read  them  over  in  his  way,  and  counted 
faults  enough  to  show  that  there  is  precious  little 
poetry  in  me.  A  beggar  and  a  poet  mean  about  the 
same  thing  to  him." 

"  He  ought  to  remember  that  you  are  young," 
answered  James,  "  and  may  improve  wonderfully  in 
future.  You  can't  expect  to  write  either  prose  or 
poetry  well  without  beginning  and  trying." 

"  All  the  trying  in  the  world  can  do  nothing  for 
me,  I  should  judge  from  father's  talk,"  added  Ben 
jamin,  rather  seriously. 

Perhaps  it  was  a  good  thing  for  Benjamin  to  meet 
with  this  obstacle  in  his  path  to  success.  According 
to  his  own  confession,  his  vanity  was  inflated  by  the 
sale  of  his  ballads,  and  he  might  have  been  puffed 
up  to  his  future  injury,  had  not  his  father  thus 
unceremoniously  taken  the  wind  out  of  his  sails. 
There  was  little  danger  now,  however.  After  such 
a  severe  handling,  he  was  not  likely  to  overrate  Ins 


FIRST   LITER AKY  ENTERPRISE.  91 

poetical  talents.  It  had  the  effect,  also,  to  turn  his 
attention  to  prose  writing,  which  is  more  substantial 
and  remunerative  than  poetry,  and  in  this  he  became 
distinguished,  as  we  shall  see  hereafter. 

The  practice  of  writing  down  one's  thoughts, 
called  in  our  schools  "  composition,"  is  excellent, 
and  ought  not  to  be  so  generally  neglected  by  the 
young  as  it  is.  It  proved  a  valuable  exercise  to 
Benjamin,  even  before  he  became  renowned  in  the 
service  of  his  country.  In  several  instances,  while 
he  was  yet  a  youth,  it  enabled  him  to  secure  busi 
ness,  when  otherwise  he  might  have  been  in  extreme 
want.  It  gave  him  the  ability  to  conduct  his  broth 
er's  paper,  when  only  sixteen  years  of  age,  at  a  time 
when  the  government  of  the  Province  incarcerated 
James,  so  that  the  paper  would  have  been  crushed 
but  for  the  ability  of  Benjamin.  When  he  first  com 
menced  business  in  Philadelphia,  also,  it  enabled 
him  to  produce  articles  for  the  "  Pennsylvania  Ga 
zette,"  which  attracted  general  notice,  and  opened 
the  way  for  his  becoming  both  proprietor  and  edi 
tor  of  the  same.  And  a  little  later  he  was  able  to 
write  a  pamphlet  on  the  "Nature  and  Necessity  of  a 
Paper  Currency"  proposing  a  measure  that  was  car 
ried  through  the  legislature,  because  the  opponents 
of  it  had  no  writer  in  their  ranks  competent  to  an 
swer  it.  These  are  only  a  few  examples  of  the  many 
advantages  he  derived  from  early  training  himself  to 
write,  even  before  he  had  passed  the  dew  of  his  youth. 


92  THE  PEINTEK-BOY. 

In  age,  he  referred  to  this  practice  of  his  boyhood 
with  much  pleasure,  and  regarded  it  as  one  of  the 
fortunate  exercises  that  contributed  to  his  eminent 
success. 

Many  such  facts  as  the  following  might  be  cited 
upon  this  subject.  A  farmer's  son  began,  at  four 
teen  years  of  age,  to  write  something  every  day,  after 
his  work  was  done,  in  a  blank-book  which  he  kept 
for  the  purpose.  He  persevered  in  the  practice  for 
several  years,  and  acquired  a  facility  in  composition 
before  he  thought  of  having  a  liberal  education. 
The  consequence  was,  that  his  friends  became  ear 
nest  to  have  him  educated,  and  he  was  sent  to  col 
lege,  where  he  ranked  high  as  a  writer ;  and  he  is 
now  about  entering  the  ministry,  under  very  flatter 
ing  circumstances.  Few  young  men  have  more  ease 
and  power  of  writing  at  the  commencement  of  their 
ministerial  work ;  and  it  all  results  from  his  early 
self-discipline  in  the  exercise  of  composition. 


X. 

THE  DISPUTE, 

BENJAMIN  WAS  intimate,  at  this  time,  with  a 
youth  by  the  name  of  John  Collins.  He  was 
intelligent,  sprightly,  and  fond  of  books,  so  that 
he  was  a  very  agreeable  companion.  They  differed 
somewhat  in  their  opinions  upon  various  subjects, 
and  frequently  found  themselves  engaged  in  earnest 
disputation.  When  other  boys  were  accustomed  to 
spend  their  time  in  foolish  talking  and  jesting,  Ben 
jamin  and  John  were  warmly  discussing  some  ques 
tion  of  importance,  well  suited  to  improve  the  mind. 
One  day  their  conversation  related  to  the  education 
of  the  sexes. 

"  It  would  be  a  waste  of  money,"  said  John,  "  to 
attempt  to  educate  girls  as  thoroughly  as  boys  are 
educated ;  for  the  female  sex  are  inferior  to  the  male 
in  intellectual  endowment." 

"  Pshaw  !  "  exclaimed  Benjamin  ;  "  you  know 
better  than  that.  The  girls  are  not  so  simple  as 
you  think  they  are.  I  believe  that  females  are 
not  a  whit  inferior  to  males  in  their  mental  qual 
ities." 


94  THE  PRINTEE-BOY. 

"  I  should  like  to  know  where  you  discover  the 
evidence  of  it  ?  "  replied  John.  "  There  is  no  proof 
of  it  in  the  works  they  have  written." 

"  That  may  be  true,  and  still  they  stand  upon  an 
equality  in  respect  to  intellect.  For  not  half  so 
much  is  done  to  educate  them  as  there  is  to  educate 
the  male  sex.  How  can  you  tell  whether  they  are 
mentally  inferior  or  not,  until  they  are  permitted  to 
enjoy  equal  advantages  ?  " 

"  As  we  tell  many  other  things,"  answered  John. 
"  Females  do  not  need  so  high  mental  endowments 
as  males,  since  they  are  not  required  to  lead  off  in 
the  different  branches  of  business,  or  to  prosecute 
the  sciences.  I  can  see  no  wisdom  in  bestowing 
talents  upon  them  which  they  never  use,  and  it  is 
often  said  that  i  nothing  is  made  in  vain.' ' 

"  Well,  I  must  go,"  said  Benjamin,  "  but  I  think 
you  have  a  weak  cause  to  defend.  If  I  had  the  time 
I  could  make  out  a  case." 

"  A  poor  one,  I  guess,"  quickly  added  John. 
"  We  will  see,  the  next  time  we  meet,  who  can 
make  out  a  case." 

"  It  will  be  some  time  before  we  meet  again,"  re 
sponded  Benjamin,  "  and  our  ardor  will  be  cooled 
before  that  time,  I  am  thinking.  But  it  will  do  us 
no  harm  to  discuss  the  subject." 

"  If  we  keep  our  temper,"  said  John,  tacking  his 
sentence  to  the  last  word  of  Benjamin's  reply.  And 
so  saying,  they  parted. 


THE  DISPUTE.  95 

After  Benjamin  had  revolved  the  subject  still 
more  in  his  mind,  he  became  anxious  to  commit  his 
argument  to  writing.  Accordingly,  with  pen  and 
paper  in  hand,  he  sat  down  to  frame  the  best  ar 
gument  he  could  in  favor  of  educating  the  female 
sex.  He  wrote  it  in  the  form  of  a  letter,  addressed 
to  his  friend  Collins,  and,  after  having  completed, 
he  copied  it  in  a  fair  hand,  and  sent  it  to  him.  This 
brought  back  a  long  reply,  which  made  it  necessary 
for  Benjamin  to  pen  an  answer.  In  this  way  the 
correspondence  continued,  until  several  letters  had 
passed  between  them,  and  each  one  had  gained  the 
victory  in  his  own  estimation. 

One  day  Benjamin's  father  met  with  these  letters 
accidentally,  and  he  read  them  over,  and  was  some 
what  impressed  with  their  character. 

"  What  are  these,  Benjamin  ?  "  he  inquired,  at 
the  same  time  holding  up  the  letters. 

Benjamin  smiled,  and  rather  hesitated  to  reply. 
"  So  it  seems  you  have  been  engaged  in  a  contro 
versy  with  John,"  continued  Mr.  Franklin.     "  You 
have  both  done  very  well,  though  I  think  there  is 
some  chance  of  improvement  yet." 

"  Have  you  read  them  all  ?  "  inquired  Benjamin. 
"  I  have,  and  must  say  that,  in  some  respects, 
John  has  the  advantage  of  you." 

"  In  what  has  he  the  advantage?"  asked  Benja 
min,  with  some  anxiety. 

"  Well,  John  writes  in  a  more  finished  style  than 


yb  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

you  do,"  answered  Mr.  Franklin.  "  His  expressions 
are  more  elegant,  and  there  is  more  method  and 
perspicuity  in  his  composition." 

"  I  rather  think  you  are  prejudiced,"  said  Benja 
min,  with  a  smile. 

"/rather  think  not,"  answered  his  father.  "  You 
have  the  advantage  of  John  in  correct  spelling,  and 
in  pointing  your  sentences,  which  is  the  consequence 
of  working  in  the  printing-office.  But  I  can  con 
vince  you  that  less  method  and  clearness  character 
ize  your  letters  than  his." 

"  I  am  ready  to  be  convinced,"  added  Benjamin. 
"  I  hardly  expect  I  have  attained  perfection  in  writ 
ing  yet." 

His  father  then  proceeded  to  read  from  the  let 
ters  of  each,  with  the  design  of  showing  that  John's 
writing  was  more  perspicuous,  and  that  there  was 
more  method  in  his  argument.  Nor  was  it  a  very 
difficult  task. 

"  I  am  convinced,"  said  Benjamin,  before  his 
father  had  read  all  he  intended  to  read.  "  I  can 
make  improvement  in  those  points  without  much 
trouble.  There  is  certainly  a  good  chance  for  it." 

"  That  is  what  I  want  you  should  see,"  rejoined 
his  father.  "  I  am  really  pleased  with  your  letters, 
for  they  show  me  that  you  have  talents  to  improve. 
My  only  object  in  calling  your  attention  to  these 
defects  is  to  aid  you  in  cultivating  your  mental 
powers." 


THE  DISPUTE.  97 

Tliis  kind,  paternal  criticism  was  a  very  happy 
thing  for  Benjamin.  It  had  the  effect  to  make  him 
more  careful  in  his  compositions,  and  to  beget  with 
in  him  both  a  desire  and  resolve  to  improve.  Not 
long  after,  he  met  with  an  old  volume  of  the  Spec 
tator,  in  a  bookstore  ;  and  knowing  that  it  would 
be  a  good  model  by  which  to  form  the  style,  he  con 
cluded  to  purchase  it.  He  bought  it  at  a  low  price, 
and  began  to  study  it  with  reference  to  improving 
the  style  of  his  composition.  The  method  which 
he  adopted  to  discipline  himself,  by  the  aid  of  this 
work,  is  proof  of  his  patience,  perseverance,  and 
desire  to  excel.  In  the  first  place,  he  read  it  over 
and  over,  until  he  became  very  well  acquainted  with 
its  contents.  Then  he  took  some  of  the  papers  it 
contained,  and  made  short  hints  of  the  sentiments 
of  each  sentence,  and  laid  them  by  a  few  days  ;  and 
then,  without  referring  to  the  book,  he  proceeded  to 
put  those  thoughts  into  sentences,  and  thus  went 
through  each  paper, —  a  long  and  laborious  work. 
When  he  had  completed  a  paper  in  this  way,  he 
carefully  compared  his  Spectator  with  the  original, 
and  was  able  thereby  to  discover  and  correct  many 
errors  in  his  style  of  composing.  He  found  that  he 
was  very  deficient  in  the  command  of  language. 

"  If  you  had  not  discouraged  me  in  writing 
poetry,"  said  he  to  his  father,  "  I  should  have 
found  it  of  much  service  now." 

"  How  so  ?  "  inquired  Mr.  Franklin. 

5  G 


98  THE  PBINTEB-BOY. 

"If  I  had  continued  to  write  poetry,  I  should 
have  been  obliged  to  select  words  that  would  rhyme, 
and  this  would  have  made  me  familiar  with  a  larger 
number  of  words,  and  the  choicest  ones  too.  I  am 
greatly  troubled  now  to  find  words  to  express  my 
thoughts." 

"  I  had  no  objections  to  your  writing  poetry  with 
such  an  object  in  view ;  but  to  print  and  sell  it 
about  town  was  carrying  the  thing  a  little  too  far," 
replied  Mr.  Franklin.  "It  is  not  too  late  to  begin 
now.  I  rather  think  you  have  discovered  an  im 
portant  defect  in  your  writing.  John  evidently  has 
a  better  command  of  language  than  you  have, 
hence  his  style  is  more  polished.  But  you  are  at 
work,  now,  in  the  right  way  to  improve.  Perse 
verance  will  accomplish  the  thing." 

"  I  am  going  to  do  this,"  said  Benjamin ;  "  I 
shall  take  some  of  the  tales  in  the  book  and  put 
them  into  verse,  and  then,  after  a  while,  change 
them  back  again." 

"  That  will  be  a  good  exercise,"  answered  his 
father,  much  pleased  with  his  son's  desire  to  im 
prove.  "  If  your  patience  holds  out,  you  will  be 
amply  rewarded,  in  the  end,  for  all  your  labor." 

This  last  purpose,  Benjamin  executed  with  much 
zeal,  and  thus  divided  his  time  between  putting 
tales  into  poetry,  and  then  turning  them  into  prose. 
He  also  jumbled  his  collection  of  hints  into  confu 
sion,  and  there  let  them  lay  for  some  weeks,  when 


THE  DISPUTE.  99 

lie  would  reduce  them  to  order,  and  write  out  the 
sentences  to  the  end  of  the  subject. 

For  a  printer-boy  to  accomplish  so  much,  when 
he  must  work  through  the  day  in  the  office,  seemed 
hardly  possible.  But,  at  this  period,  Benjamin 
allowed  no  moments  to  run  to  waste.  He  always 
kept  a  book  by  him  in  the  office,  and  every  spare 
moment  was  employed  over  its  pages.  In  the  morn 
ing,  before  he  went  to  work,  he  found  some  time  for 
reading  and  study.  He  was  an  early  riser,  not, 
perhaps,  because  he  had  no  inclination  to  lie  in  bed, 
but  he  had  more  to  improve  his  mind.  He  gained 
time  enough  in  the  morning,  by  this  early  rising, 
to  acquire  more  knowledge  than  some  youth  and 
young  men  do  by  constantly  going  to  school.  In 
the  evening,  he  found  still  more  time  for  mental 
improvement,  extending  his  studies  often  far  into 
the  night.  It  was  his  opinion  that  people  generally 
consume  more  time  than  is  necessary  in  sleep,  and 
one  of  his  maxims,  penned  in  early  manhood,  was 
founded  on  that  opinion.  The  maxim  is,  "  The 
sleeping  fox  catches  no  poultry." 

It  is  not  strange  that  a  boy  who  subjected  himself 
to  such  close  discipline  for  a  series  of  years  should 
write  some  of  the  best  maxims  upon  this  subject 
when  he  became  a  man.  Take  the  following,  in 
addition  to  those  cited  in  a  former  chapter:  — 

"  There  are  no  gains  without  pains ;  then  help 
hands,  for  I  have  no  lands." 


100  THE  PKINTER-BOY. 

"Industry  pays  debts,  while  despair  increaseth 
them." 

"  Never  leave  that  till  to-morrow  which  you  can 
do  to-day." 

"  Leisure  is  time  for  doing  something  useful." 

"  A  life  of  leisure  and  a  life  of  laziness  are  two 
things." 

"  Fly  pleasures,  and  they  will  follow  you.  The 
diligent  spinner  has  a  large  shift,  and,  now  I  have  a 
sheep  and  a  cow,  every  one  bids  me  good-morrow." 

"  Be  ashamed  to  catch  yourself  idle." 

"  Handle  your  tools  without  mittens ;  remember 
that  the  cat  in  gloves  catches  no  mice." 

"  There  is  much  to  be  done,  and  perhaps  you  are 
weak-handed ;  but  stick  to  it  steadily,  and  you  will 
see  great  effects,  for  constant  dropping  wears  away 
stones;  and  by  diligence  and  patience  the  mouse 
ate  in  two  the  cable ;  and  little  strokes  fell  great 
oaks." 

"  Early  to  bed,  and  early  to  rise 
Makes  a  man  healthy,  wealthy,  and  wise." 

Here  is  the  genuine  gold  of  thought,  —  whole  vol 
umes  of  counsel  worked  down  into  single  flashing 
pearls  of  truth,  — just  such  utterances  as  we  might 
expect  from  the  lips  of  one  who  was  early  taught  to 
walk  in  the  ways  of  wisdom.  All  along  in  the  fu 
ture  of  Benjamin's  life,  we  shall  see  that  these 
charming  maxims  were  illustrated,  proving  that 
they  are  living  and  bright  realities. 


THE  DISPUTE.  101 

Iii  order  to  prosecute  his  purposes,  Benjamin  took 
a  step,  at  this  period,  for  which  he  censured  himself 
long  after.  Being  away  from  his  father's  house,  in 
a  boarding-place  provided  by  his  brother,  he  vio 
lated  the  Sabbath  day  by  devoting  its  sacred  hours 
to  mental  improvement.  At  home,  his  parents  had 
ever  required  that  he  should  attend  public  worship ; 
but  now  he  neglected  the  house  of  God,  that  he 
might  command  the  more  time  for  study.  It  was  a 
grave  breach  of  a  divine  commandment,  and  a  dis 
regard  of  parental  authority,  which  he  afterwards 
deeply  regretted.  At  the  time,  he  was  obliged  to 
hold  long  parleys  with  conscience,  which  told  him 
that  he  ought  still  to  visit  the  sanctuary,  and  devote 
Sabbath  hours  to  sacred  duties.  Yet  his  great 
thirst  for  knowledge  overcame  his  regard  for  holy 
time. 

It  must  appear  quite  evident  to  the  reader  by  this 
time,  that  Benjamin  derived  much  benefit  from  his 
conversation  with  John  Collins  upon  a  useful  topic. 
A  large  majority  of  boys,  of  their  age,  spend  their 
leisure  moments  in  vain  and  useless  talking.  They 
think  not  of  self-improvement,  and  scarcely  desire 
to  be  benefited  in  this  way.  The  most  unmeaning 
and  thoughtless  words  escape  from  their  lips,  and  a 
sound,  sensible,  valuable  conversation  they  seldom, 
if  ever,  attempt.  What  an  excellent  example  is 
that  of  young  Franklin  and  Collins,  discussing  a 
question  of  importance,  instead  of  wasting  their 


102  THE  PEINTER-BOY. 

breath  in  meaningless  chatter !  It  stimulated  the 
former  to  consult  the  best  models  of  style  in  com 
position,  and  was  the  real  occasion  of  his  adopting 
a  most  critical  and  thorough  plan  of  self-culture. 
All  this  the  consequence  of  conversing  properly,  in 
stead  of  spending  leisure  moments  in  boyish  antics, 
or  uttering  nonsense ! 

The  reader  need  not  infer  that  violation  of  the 
Sabbath,  and  disregard  of  parental  counsels,  are 
less  heinous  sins  than  some  would  grant,  since 
Benjamin  was  guilty  of  both,  and  yet  he  did  not  go 
to  ruin.  For  ten  boys  who  do  the  same  things  that 
he  did  are  ruined  thereby,  where  one  is  saved. 
The  father  of  Walter  Scott  forbade  his  reading- 
fictitious  works,  yet  he  concealed  them  in  a  sly 
place,  and  read  them  when  his  father's  eye  was  not 
upon  him  ;  and  they  served  to  stimulate  his  mind  to 
pursue  a  most  brilliant  literary  career.  In  like 
manner,  Pope,  the  distinguished  poet,  strolled  into 
the  theatre  in  his  boyhood,  when  he  was  away  from 
his  parents  at  school,  and  there  the  first  aspiration 
of  his  soul  for  that  sphere  of  mental  effort  in  which 
he  became  distinguished,  was  begotten.  But  these 
examples  cannot  be  cited  in  favor  of  novel-reading 
and  theatre-going ;  for  they  are  exceptions  to  a 
general  rule.  The  great  mass  of  the  youth  who 
are  fascinated  by  the  novel  and  theatre  make  ship 
wreck  of  their  hopes.  Scott  and  Pope,  with  a  few 
others,  are  all  who  have  escaped. 


XI. 

PLAIN   FAKE, 

«  TTOW  MUCH  will  you  allow  me  a  week  if  I 

JLi  will  board  myself?  "  inquired  Benjamin  of 
James.  "  It  costs  you  now  more  than  you  need  to 
pay."  James  was  still  boarding  Benjamin  in  a 
family  near  by,  being  himself  yet  unmarried. 

"  Then  you  think  I  am  paying  more  a  week  for 
your  board  than  it  is  worth  ?  "  replied  his  brother. 

"  No  more  than  you  will  be  obliged  to  pay  in  any 
other  family,  but  more  than  I  shall  ask  you,"  an 
swered  Benjamin. 

"  Then  you  think  of  opening  a  boarding-house 
for  the  special  accommodation  of  Benjamin  Frank 
lin  ?  "  which  was  treating  his  request  rather  lightly. 

"  I  propose  to  board  myself,"  said  Benjamin.  "  I 
do  not  eat  meat  of  any  kind,  as  you  know,  so  that 
I  can  do  it  very  easily,  and  I  will  agree  to  do  it,  if 
you  will  pay  me  half  the  money  weekly  which  you 
pay  for  my  board." 

"  Agreed,"  replied  James.  "  The  bargain  is 
made.  When  will  you  begin  ?  " 

"  To-morrow,"  was  Benjamin's  laconic  reply. 


104  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

Benjamin  had  been  reading  a  work  on  "  vegetable 
diet,"  by  one  Try  on,  and  it  was  this  which  induced 
him  to  discard  meat  as  an  article  of  food.  Mr. 
Tryon,  in  his  work,  gave  directions  for  cooking 
vegetables,  and  such  dishes  as  a  vegetarian  might 
use,  so  that  the  matter  of  boarding  was  made  quite 
simple.  Benjamin  really  thought  that  this  mode  of 
living  was  best  for  health  and  strength,  though  his 
chief  object  in  proposing  to  board  himself  was  to 
obtain  money  to  purchase  books.  He  had  been  try 
ing  a  vegetable  diet  for  some  time  in  the  family 
where  he  and  his  brother  had  boarded,  and  had 
often  been  both  ridiculed  and  censured  for  his 
oddity.  Perhaps  he  wanted  to  get  away  where  he 
could  eat  as  he  pleased,  with  no  one  to  say,  "  Why 
do  ye  so  ?  "  But  most  of  all  he  wanted  to  com 
mand  more  money,  that  he  might  gratify  his  thirst 
for  knowledge. 

James  was  very  willing  to  accept  the  proposition, 
as  it  would  bring  a  little  more  money  into  his 
pocket.  He  was  an  avaricious  and  penurious  young 
man,  who  thought  mainly  of  making  money  in  his 
business,  and  it  was  of  little  consequence  to  him 
whether  he  made  it  out  of  his  brother  or  some  one 
else. 

"  How  much  do  you  make  by  boarding  yourself, 
Ben  ?  "  inquired  James,  some  weeks  after  the  ex 
periment  was  commenced. 

"  I  save  just  half  of  the  money  you  pay  me,"  an- 


PLAIN  FARE.  105 

swered  Benjamin,   "  so   that  it  costs   me  just  one 
quarter  as  much  as  you  paid  for  my  board." 

"  You  understand  economy,  I  must  confess,"  said 
his  brother.  "  However,  I  have  no  fault  to  find  if 
you  are  satisfied." 

"  The  money  I  save  is  not  the  best  part  of  it," 
continued  Benjamin.  "  I  save  about  a  half-hour 
every  noon  for  reading.  After  I  have  eaten  my 
meal,  I  usually  read  as  long  as  that  before  you 
return  from  dinner." 

"  Not  a  very  sumptuous  meal  I  reckon,"  said 
James  dryly;  "sawdust-pudding,  perhaps,  with 
cold-water  sauce!" 

"Nothing  so  difficult  to  procure  as  that,"  re 
sponded  Benjamin.  "  A  biscuit  or  a  slice  of  bread, 
with  a  tart  or  a  few  raisins,  and  a  glass  of  water, 
make  a  good  dinner  for  me  ;  and  then  my  head  is 
all  the  lighter  for  study." 

"I  should  think  you  might  have  a  light  head 
«rith  such  living,"  added  James,  "  and  your  body 
will  be  as  light  before  many  weeks  I  prophesy." 

"  I  will  risk  it.  I  am  on  a  study  now  that  re 
quires  a  clear  head,  and  I  am  determined  to  mas 
ter  it." 

"What  is  that?" 
"  It  is  Cocker's  Arithmetic." 
"  Begin  to  wish  you  knew  something  about  arith 
metic  by  this  time,"    added  James   sarcastically. 
"  Making    up  for  misspent  time,  I  see ! "     Here 
5* 


106  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

was  a  fling  at  Benjamin's  dislike  of  arithmetic  when 
he  was  sent  to  school.  We  have  seen  that  he  ac 
complished  nothing  in  figures,  either  at  the  public 
school  or  when  he  was  under  Mr.  Brownwell's  tui 
tion.  Liking  some  other  studies  better,  he  neglected 
this,  and  now,  as  is  generally  the  case,  he  regretted 
his  error,  and  applied  himself  to  acquire  that  which 
he  might  have  acquired  before.  It  was  a  difficult 
task  for  him,  but  his  patience  and  perseverance, 
together  with  his  economy  of  time,  and  temperance 
in  eating  and  drinking,  enabled  him  to  accomplish 
his  object.  Then  he  read  Seller's  and  Sturney's 
work  on  Navigation,  and  made  himself  particularly 
familiar  with  the  geometry  which  it  contained. 
"  Locke  on  the  Understanding,"  and  "  The  Art  of 
Thinking,"  were  two  other  works  that  he  read 
closely  while  he  was  living  on  a  vegetable  diet.  All 
these  works  were  difficult  to  be  mastered  by  a  boy 
not  yet  fourteen  years  of  age.  Yet  he  was  not  dis 
couraged  by  this  fact ;  it  rather  seemed  to  arouse 
him  to  greater  efforts. 

"  You  calculate  time  as  closely  as  a  miser  does 
his  money,  Ben,"  said  James. 

"  As  little  as  I  have  for  myself  requires  that  I 
should  calculate  closely,"  was  his  reply.  "  Time  is 
money  to  you,  or  else  you  would  allow  me  a  little 
more  to  myself;  and  it  is  more  than  money  to  me." 

"  How  so  ?  "  inquired  James. 

"  It  enables  me  to  acquire  knowledge,  which  I 


PLAIN  FARE.  107 

cannot  buy  with  money.  Unless  I  was  saving  of 
my  time,  I  should  not  be  able  to  read  or  study  at 
all,  having  to  work  so  constantly." 

Perhaps,  at  this  time,  Benjamin  laid  the  founda 
tion  for  that  economy  which  distinguished  him  in 
later  life,  and  about  which  he  often  wrote.  Among 
his  wise  sayings  touching  this  subject  are  the  fol 
lowing  :  — 

"If  you  would  be  wealthy,  think  of  saving,  as 

well  as  of  getting." 

"  What  maintains  one  vice  would  bring  up  two 

children." 

"  Many  a  little  makes  a  mickle." 

"  A  small  leak  will  sink  a  ship." 

"  At  a  great  pennyworth  pause  awhile." 

"  Silks  and  satins,  scarlet  and  velvets,  put  out  the 

kitchen  fire." 

"  Always  taking  out  of  the  meal-tub,  and  never 

putting  in,  soon  comes  to  the  bottom. 

"  For  age  and  want  save  while  you  may,  — 
No  morning  sun  lasts  a  whole  day." 

"  It  is  easier  to  build  two  chimneys  than  to  keep 
one  in  fuel." 

"  A  penny  saved  is  a  penny  earned." 

"  A  penny  saved  is  two-pence  clear ; 
A  pin  a  day  is  a  groat  a  year." 

"  He  that  wastes  idly  a  groat's  worth  of  his  time 
per  day,  one  day  with  another,  wastes  the  privilege 
of  using  one  hundred  pounds  each  day." 


108  THE  PKINTER-BOY. 

To  a  young  tradesman  he  wrote,  in  the  year 
1748  :  — 

"  Remember  that  time  is  money.  He  that  can 
earn  ten  shillings  a  day  by  his  labor,  and  goes 
abroad  or  sits  idle  one  half  that  day,  though  he 
spend  but  sixpence  during  his  diversion  or  idleness, 
ought  not  to  reckon  that  the  only  expense ;  he  has 
really  spent,  or  rather  thrown  away,  five  shillings 
besides 

"  In  short,  the  way  to  wealth,  if  you  desire  it,  is 
as  plain  as  the  way  to  market.  It  depends  chiefly 
on  two  words,  industry  and  frugality  ;  that  is,  waste 
neither  time  nor  money,  but  make  the  best  use  of 
both.  Without  industry  and  frugality,  nothing  will 
do,  and  with  them  everything.  He  that  gets  all  he 
can  honestly,  and  saves  all  he  gets  (necessary  ex 
penses  excepted),  will  certainly  become  rich,  —  if 
that  Being  who  governs  the  world,  to  whom  all 
should  look  for  a  blessing  on  their  honest  endeav 
ors,  doth  not,  in  his  wise  providence,  otherwise  de 
termine." 

In  these  excellent  sayings,  time  and  money  are 
spoken  of  together,  because  time  is  money ;  and 
Franklin  was  never  more  economical  of  one  than  of 
the  other.  All  that  he  says  of  frugality  in  respect 
to  property  applies  equally  to  time,  and  vice  versa. 
In  his  boyhood,  when  he  adopted  a  vegetable  diet, 
he  had  no  money  to  save,  so  that  the  most  of  his 
economy  related  to  time.  It  being  to  him  as  valu- 


PLAIN  FARE.  109 

able  as  gold,  he  was  prompted  to  husband  it  as  well. 
To  some  observers  he  might  have  appeared  to  be 
penurious,  but  those  who  knew  him  saw  that  he 
reduced  another  of  his  own  maxims  to  practice : 
"  We  must  save,  that  we  may  share."  He  never 
sought  to  save  time  or  money  that  he  might  hoard 
the  more  of  worldly  goods  to  enjoy  in  a  selfish  way. 
He  was  ever  generous  and  liberal,  as  we  shall  see 
hereafter.  The  superficial  observer  might  suppose 
that  a  niggardly  spirit  prompted  him  to  board  him 
self,  —  that  he  adopted  a  vegetable  diet  for  the 
sake  of  filthy  lucre.  But  nothing  could  be  wider 
from  the  truth  than  such  a  view.  We  cannot  dis 
cover  the  least  desire  to  hoard  the  money  he  saved. 
He  laid  it  out  in  books,  and  such  things  as  aided 
him  in  self-improvement.  He  believed  in  temperate 
eating,  as  we  have  already  said,  and  the  foUowing 
maxims  of  his  show  the  same  thing :  — 
"  Who  dainties  love,  shall  beggars  prove." 
"  Fools  make  feasts,  and  wise  men  eat  them." 
"  Buy  what  thou  hast  no  need  of,  and  erelong 
thou  shalt  sell  thy  necessaries." 

He  saw  that  he  could  never  possess  the  books  he 
needed,  or  command  the  time,  if  his  appetite  for 
luxuries  was  gratified.  In  his  circumstances,  the 
most  marked  self-denial  was  necessary,  to  gain  his 
object.  At  the  same  time,  he  believed  it  would 
make  him  more  healthy  to  be  abstemious.  There 
was  not  an  iota  of  stinginess  in  his  habitual  econ 
omy. 


110  THE  PKINTER-BOY. 

Economy  of  time  or  money  is  praiseworthy  only 
when  it  is  done  to  command  the  means  of  being 
•useful,  — which  was  true  of  Franklin  When  it  is 
practised  to  gratify  a  sordid  love  of  money,  it  is 
ignoble  and  sinful. 

About  this  time,  Benjamin  and  John  Collins  had 
another  interview,  —  differing  somewhat  from  the 
one  already  described,  as  the  following  dialogue  will 
show :  — 

"  What  book  is  this,  Ben  ?  "  inquired  John,  tak 
ing  up  one  from  the  table. 

"It  is  an  old  English  Grammar  which  I  came 
across  the  other  day,"  answered  Benjamin.  "  It 
has  two  chapters,  near  the  close,  on  Rhetoric  and 
Logic,  that  are  valuable." 

"  Valuable  to  you,  perhaps,  but  not  to  me,"  said 
John.  "  What  shall  I  ever  want  of  Rhetoric  or 
Logic?" 

"  Everybody  ought  to  know  something  about 
them,"  answered  Benjamin.  "  They  have  already 
helped  me,  in  connection  with  the  works  of  Shaftes- 
bury,  to  understand  some  things  about  religion  bet 
ter.  I  have  believed  some  doctrines  just  because 
my  parents  taught  me  so." 

"  Then  you  do  not  believe  all  that  you  have  been 
taught  about  religion,  if  I  understand  you  ?  " 

"  No,  I  am  free  to  say  that  I  do  not.  There  is 
neither  reason  nor  wisdom  in  portions  of  the  creed 
of  the  Church." 


PLAIN  FARE.  Ill 

"  Why,  Ben,  you  surprise  me.  You  are  getting 
to  be  quite  infidel  for  a  boy.  It  won't  do  for  you  to 
read  Logic  and  Shaftesbury  any  more,  if  you  are  so 
easily  upset  by  them." 

"  Made  to  understand  better  by  them  what  is 
right  and  what  is  wrong,"  answered  Benjamin. 
"  The  fact  is,  very  few  persons  think  for  them 
selves.  They  are  religious  because  they  are  so 
instructed.  They  embrace  the  religion  of  their 
parents  without  asking  themselves  what  is  true  or 
false." 

"  There  is  not  much  danger  that  you  will  do 
that,"  said  John.  "  Present  appearances  rather 
indicate  that  the  religious  opinions  of  your  father 
will  be  blown  sky-high,"  —  though  John  did  not 
mean  quite  so  much  as  his  language  denotes. 

"  You  do  not  understand  me.  I  respect  my  par 
ents  and  their  religious  opinions,  though  I  doubt 
some  of  the  doctrines  they  have  taught,  and  which 
I  never  carefully  examined  until  recently." 

"  I  must  go,"  said  John  ;  "  at  another  time,  I  will 
hear  more ;  "  —  and  he  hurried  away  to  his  busi 
ness,  which  was  waiting  for  him. 

Benjamin  had  read  carefully  the  works  of  Col 
lins  and  Shaftesbury,  which  were  well  suited  to 
unsettle  his  religious  belief.  At  the  time  of  this 
interview,  he  was  really  a  doubter,  though  not 
avowedly  opposed  to  religion.  The  fact  shows  the 
necessity  of  using  care  in  selecting  books  to  be 


112  THE   PRINTER-BOY. 

read,  and  the  danger  of  tampering  with  those  that 
speak  lightly  of  the  Gospel.  Even  a  mind  as  strong 
as  that  of  Benjamin  was  warped  by  the  sophistries 
of  such  a  book,  and  it  was  some  years  before  he 
recovered  wholly  from  the  sad  effects  of  such  read 
ing.  His  early  religious  culture,  however,  and  his 
disposition  and  ability  to  perceive  the  truth,  finally 
saved  him  from  the  abyss  of  infidelity,  as  will  appear 
more  evident  in  the  pages  that  follow. 


XII. 

THE  NEWSPAPEE, 

ON  THE  seventeenth  day  of  January,  1721, 
James  Franklin  began  to  issue  a  newspaper, 
called  "  THE  NEW  ENGLAND  COURANT."  It  was  the 
third  one  at  the  time  in  the  whole  country.  The 
first  paper  —  "  THE  BOSTON  NEWSLETTER" — was 
established  in  1704,  two  years  before  the  birth  of 
Benjamin.  It  was  only  a  half-sheet  of  paper,  about 
the  size  of  an  eight  by  twelve  inch  pane  of  glass,  "  in 
two  pages  folio,  with  two  columns  on  each  page." 
Consequently,  it  could  not  have  contained  more 
printed  matter  than  is  now  compressed  into  half  a 
page  of  one  of  our  Boston  dailies.  Yet  it  was  con 
sidered  a  very  important  undertaking  for  the  times. 

When  James  Franklin  proposed  to  start  the  third 
paper  in  America,  some  of  his  friends  thought  it  was 
a  wild  project,  and  endeavored  to  dissuade  him  from 
it.  They  saw  nothing  but  ruin  before  him,  and 
used  every  persuasion  to  lead  him  to  abandon  the 
enterprise.  They  thought  that  two  newspapers,  such 
as  would  now  excite  a  smile  by  their  inferior  size, 
were  quite  enough  for  a  country  like  this.  Take  this 


114  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

fact,  in  connection  with  the  present  abundance  of 
papers,  and  the  contrast  presents  a  striking  view  of 
the  progress  of  America  since  that  day.  At  that 
time  there  was  not  a  daily  paper  in  the  land.  Now 
\  there  are  eight  in  the  city  of  Boston  alone,  having 
^  *  an  aggregate  daily  circulation  of  about  one  hundred 
and  twenty-five  thousand,  which  would  amount  to 
nearly  FORTY  MILLION  sheets  in  a  year,  —  more  than 
enough  to  furnish  every  man,  woman,  and  child  in 
the  country  with  one  sheet  each.  All  this  from  the 
daily  press  of  Boston,  where,  one  hundred  and  forty 
years  ago,  it  was  thought  that  a  third  weekly  newspa 
per,  scarcely  large  enough  to  wrap  a  baker's  loaf  in, 
could  not  be  supported  !  Bind  them  into  volumes, 
containing  one  hundred  sheets  each,  and  we  have 
an  enormous  library  of  daily  newspapers,  numbering 
four  hundred  thousand  volumes,  the  annual  produc 
tion  of  the  Boston  daily  press  in  1860  !  And  this 
only  the  aggregate  of  eight  different  papers,  while 
Boston  alone  now  has  one  hundred  and  forty  papers 
and  periodicals  of  all  sorts,  and  the  State  of  Mas 
sachusetts  nearly  three  hundred!  How  marvellous 
the  change  since  Franklin  was  a  poor  printer-boy  ! 

But  look  at  these  eight  daily  papers  of  Boston 
again.  Suppose  they  measure  a  yard  each  in  width, 
upon  an  average,  when  opened ;  —  here  we  have  one 
hundred  and  twenty-five  thousand  yards  of  news 
papers  emanating  daily  from  only  eight  presses  of 
Franklin's  native  city  ;  which  is  equal  to  seventy-one 


THE  NEWSPAPEK.  115 

miles  per  day,  and /aw  hundred  twenty-six  miles  per 
week,  and  twenty-two  thousand  one  hundred  and 
fifty-two  miles  in  a  year !  This  is  truly  surpris 
ing.  Almost  paper  enough  from  the  eight  daily 
presses  of  Boston  alone,  every  year,  to  reach  around 
the  earth! 

Or,  suppose  we  weigh  these  papers.  If  ten  of  them 
weigh  a  single  pound,  then  each  day's  issue  weighs 
twelve  thousand  five  hundred  pounds,  each  week's 
issue  amounts  to  seventy-five  thousand  pounds,  which 
swells  the  annual  aggregate  to  about  four  million 
pounds.  Load  this  yearly  production  upon  wagons, 
one  ton  on  each,  and  we  have  two  thousand  two- 
horse  loads  of  newspapers  from  these  eight  presses 
in  a  year!  Again,  we  say,  how  marvellous  the 

change ! 

If  eight  daily  papers  of  Boston  throw  off  this  vast 
amount  of  reading-matter  in  a  year,  what  immense 
quantities  are  supplied  by  all  the  presses  in  the  land ! 
Could  the  actual  statistics  be  laid  before  us  in  round 
numbers,  doubtless  the  most  credulous  even  would 
be  amazed  at  the  result. 

•Rivh  t,n  return.  James  decided  to  issue  his  paper, 
notwithstanding  the  advice  of  some  of  his  friends  to 
the  contrary,  and  he  thus  opened  the  subject  to  Ben 
jamin  :  — 

"  I  have  resolved  to  issue  a  paper,  and  it  will 
require  our  united  exertions  to  make  it  go.  No 
doubt  I  shall  meet  with  opposition,  and  perhaps  shall 


116  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

fail  in  the  attempt,  but  I  have  determined  to  fail 
trying" 

"  What  particular  service  can  I  render  ? "  in 
quired  Benjamin. 

"  Aside  from  your  usual  work  of  type-setting,  you 
are  qualified  to  look  after  the  composition  and  spell 
ing  of  the  articles  in  each  number,  and  a  part  of 
your  work  shall  be  to  deliver  the  paper  to  subscrib 
ers  from  week  to  week." 

"  And  be  collector,  too,  I  suppose,"  added  Benja 
min,  rather  fancying  the  idea  of  issuing  a  paper  from 
the  office. 

"  As  you  like  about  that,"  answered  his  brother, 
"  though  it  may  be  convenient,  often,  to  have  you 
render  such  a  service." 

"  I  suppose  you  don't  mean  to  make  me  editor 
also  ? "  he  added,  rather  jestingly  ;  probably  not 
dreaming  that  he  should  ever  conduct  the  publica 
tion. 

"  I  think  not  at  present,"  was  his  brother's  reply. 
"  Printer,  news-carrier,  and  collector,  will  be  as  much 
honor  as  you  can  withstand  at  once  ; "  and  he  had 
as  little  idea  of  the  part  Benjamin  would  play  in  the 
work  as  the  boy  had  himself. 

Accordingly  the  paper  was  issued  at  the  appointed 
time,  creating  quite  a  stir  in  the  community,  and 
provoking  remarks  pro  and  con  concerning  its  ap 
pearance,  character,  and  prospects.  Agreeably  to 
the  arrangement,  Benjamin  delivered  the  numbers 


THE  NEWSPAPEK.  117 

to  subscribers,  and  perhaps  he  sold  the  paper  about 
the  streets,  thus  acting  as  one  of  the  first  newsboys 
on  this  western  continent. 

Among  the  friends  of  James  Franklin,  and  the 
patrons  of  his  paper,  were  several  men  who  possessed 
considerable  talent  for  writing,  and  they  were  accus 
tomed  to  assemble  at  the  printing-office,  and  discuss 
questions  connected  with  the  circulation  of  the  pa 
per.  Benjamin's  ears  were  usually  open  to  their 
conversation,  —  and  he  heard  the  merits  of  different 
articles  set  forth,  and  learned  that  certain  ones  were 
quite  popular,  and  elicited  favorable  remarks  from 
readers  generally.  This  excited  his  ambition,  and 
he  earnestly  desired  to  try  his  own  ability  in  writing 
for  the  paper.  He  feared,  however,  that  his  com 
position  would  not  be  regarded  favorably,  if  it  were 
known  who  was  the  author  ;  so  he  hit  upon  this 
expedient.  He  resolved  to  write  an  anonymous 
article,  in  his  very  best  style,  and  get  it  into  his 
brother's  hand  so  as  not  to  awaken  his  suspicion. 
Accordingly,  the  article  was  prepared,  and  at  night 
it  was  tucked  under  the  printing-office  door,  where 
James  found  it  in  the  morning.  As  usual,  several 
of  his  writers  came  in  about  their  usual  time,  and 
Benjamin  had  the  happiness  of  hearing  the  following 
discussion  :  — 

"  Here  is  a  good  article,  that  I  found  under  the 
door  this  morning,"  said  James,  at  the  same  time 
holding  it  up. 


118  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

"  Who  is  the  author  of  it  ?  "  inquired  one. 

"  It  is  anonymous,"  replied  James,  "  and  I  have 
not  the  least  idea  who  wrote  it." 

"  What  is  the  subject  ? "  asked  another  ;  and  the 
subject  was  announced. 

"  Let  us  hear  it  read,"  proposed  a  third.  "  You 
read  it  aloud  to  us,  James."  So  James  proceeded 
to  read  the  article  aloud,  while  all  listened  with 
deep  interest.  All  the  while  Benjamin  was  busily 
employed  at  his  work,  though  his  ears  were  never 
more  willing  to  hear.  You  may  be  sure  that  he  felt 
rather  queerly  while  his  composition  was  undergo 
ing  this  test,  and  a  close  observer  might  have  ob 
served  a  sly,  comical  twinkle  of  his  eye.  The  read 
ing  went  on  without  one  of  the  company  dreaming 
that  the  author  stood  at  their  elbow. 

"  Capital !  "  exclaimed  one,  as  the  last  line  was 
read.  "  Who  can  the  author  be  ?  " 

"  As  a  general  thing,"  said  James,  "  I  shall  not 
insert  articles  from  persons  unknown  to  me,  but  this 
is  so  good  that  I  shall  publish  it." 

"  By  all  means,"  said  one  of  the  company.  "  We 
shall  soon  find  out  the  author  ;  it  is  a  difficult  mat 
ter  to  keep  such  things  secret  for  a  long  time." 

"  The  author  is  evidently  a  person  of  ability," 
added  another ;  "  every  sentence  in  that  article  is 
charged  with  thought.  I  should  judge  that  he 
wanted  only  culture  to  make  him  a  writer  of  the 
first  class." 


THE  NEWSPAPER.  119 

"  Publishing  the  article  will  be  as  likely  as  any 
thing  to  bring  out  the  author,"  said  James. 

It  was  decided  to  print  the  article,  all  having  ap 
proved  of  the  same,  much  to  the  satisfaction  of  Ben 
jamin,  who  awaited  the  decision  with  some  anxiety. 
Now  he  scarcely  knew  how  to  act  in  regard  to  the 
piece,  whether  to  father  it  at  once,  or  still  conceal 
its  parentage.  On  the  whole,  however,  he  decided 
to  withhold  its  authorship  for  the  present,  and  try 
his  hand  again  in  the  same  way.  Much  encouraged 
by  the  success  of  his  first  effort,  Benjamin  was  pre 
pared  to  produce  even  a  better  article  on  the  second 
trial,  which  was  discussed  and  approved  in  the  same 
way  as  the  first.  Thus  he  wrote,  and  put  under 
the  door  at  night,  a  number  of  articles,  all  of  which 
were  pronounced  good  by  James  and  his  friends. 
It  was  a  time  of  much  interest  and  excitement  to 
Benjamin,  since  he  was  the  "unknown  character" 
so  much  extolled  by  the  patrons  of  the  "  Courant." 
To  hear  his  own  articles  remarked  upon  and 
praised,  when  no  one  dreamed  that  a  boy  like  him 
self  could  be  the  author,  was  well  suited  to  stir  up 
his  feelings,  if  not  to  inflate  his  vanity.  Many  per 
sons  in  like  circumstances  would  be  allured  into 
indiscretions  and  improprieties.  But  Benjamin 
wisely  kept  his  own  secrets,  while  he  industriously 
continued  to  set  up  types,  fearing  that  disclosure  at 
the  present  time  might  knock  all  his  plans  into 
"  pi." 


120  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  this  was  one  of  the  inci 
dents  of  Benjamin's  boyhood  that  decided  his  futur< 
eminent  career.  It  was  a  good  thing  to  bring  ou 
his  talents  as  a  writer  thus  early,  and  it  evidently 
introduced  him  to  an  exercise  that  was  of  the  firs 
importance  in  the  improvement  of  his  mind.  Fron 
the  time  that  he  wrote  the  first  article  which  h< 
put  under  the  door  of  the  printing-office,  he  did  no 
cease  to  write  more  or  less  for  the  public  eye.  H< 
had  written  before,  as  we  have  seen,  but  his  fathe: 
had  rather  put  a  damper  on  his  composing  for  tin 
public  to  read,  and,  besides,  the  newspaper  was  5 
channel  of  communicating  with  readers  altogethe: 
new  to  him.  It  was  well  suited  to  awaken  deep  in 
terest  in  his  heart,  and  to  incite  him  to  put  forth  hi 
noblest  efforts. 

The  great  English  statesman,  CANNING,  was  sen 
to  school  at  Eton,  at  twelve  years  of  age,  where  IK 
originated  a  mimic  House  of  Commons  among  hi: 
schoolmates.  Here  they  established  a  boy  periodi 
cal,  called  the  "  Microcosm."  It  was  a  weekly  pub 
lication,  and  issued  from  Windsor.  It  was  con 
ducted  "  after  the  plan  of  the  '  Spectator,'  th< 
design  being  to  treat  the  characteristics  of  the  boyi 
at  Eton  as  Addison  and  his  friends  had  don< 
those  of  general  society."  In  this  paper  severa 
members  of  the  school  figured  with  credit  to  them 
selves,  though  no  one  was  more  earnest  to  sustair 
it  than  young  Canning.  It  became  one  of  th< 


-i-c. 


THE  NEWSPAPER.  121 

prominent  influences  that  decided  his  future  course, 
bringing  out  his  talents,  and  stimulating  his  mind 
to  labor  in  this  honorable  way.  It  also  exerted  a 
decided  influence  upon  the  character  of  another 
boy,  named  Frere,  who  afterwards  shone  as  a  writer 
on  the  pages  of  the  "  Anti-Jacobin." 

At  the  present  day,  in  many  seminaries  and  vil 
lage  lyceums,  similar  literary  enterprises  are  sus 
tained,  to  the  no  small  advantage  of  the  young  who 
become  personally  interested  in  it.  Every  youth 
who  desires  to  cultivate  his  mental  faculties  ought 
to  hail  such  enterprises  with  joy,  and  pledge  his  no 
blest  efforts  to  sustain  them.  It  may  be  that  it  is 
discouragingly  difficult  for  him  to  write  at  first ;  but 
let  him  persevere,  with  patience  and  firm  resolve, 
and  he  will  prove  to  himself  that  "  practice  makes 
perfect."  There  is  no  better  exercise  for  his  mind 
than  this,  and  none  better  adapted  to  inspire  him 
with  a  dauntless  resolve  to  acquire  knowledge. 


XIII. 

THE  CAT  OUT  OF  THE  BAG, 

BENJAMIN  WAS  so  highly  gratified  with  the 
favorable  remarks  he  heard  about  his  articles, 
and  especially  that  different  persons,  in  guessing 
who  the  author  might  be,  usually  guessed  some 
writer  of  distinction,  that  he  could  keep  the  secret 
no  longer.  He  was  eager  to  make  the  fact  known, 
that  the  much  talked  of  essays  emanated  from  his 
own  pen ;  and  soon  "  the  cat  was  let  out  of  the 
bag." 

Having  a  good  opportunity,  in  reply  to  some  re 
mark  of  James  about  "  the  last  article  found  under 
the  door,"  he  said,  "  I  know  who  the  author  is." 

"  You  know  ? "  exclaimed  James  with  surprise. 
"  Why  have  you  not  disclosed  it  before  ?  " 

"  Because  I  thought  it  was  not  wise.  It  is  not 
best  to  tell  all  we  know  always." 

"  But  you  have  heard  us  discuss  this  matter  over 
and  over,  and  take  measures  to  discover  the  author, 
and  yet  you  have  never  intimated  that  you  knew 
anything  about  it." 

"  Well,  the  author  did  not  wish  to  be  known, 


THE   CAT   OUT   OF   THE   BAG.  123 

until  the  right  time  came,  and  that  is  a  good  reason 
for  keeping  the  matter  secret,  I  think." 

"  Will  yon  tell  who  the  author  is  now  ?  "  asked 
James,  impatient  to  obtain  the  long-sought  infor 
mation. 

"  Perhaps  I  will,  if  you  are  very  anxious  to 
know." 

"  You  know  that  I  am.     Who  is  it  ?  " 

"  It  is  Benjamin  Franklin." 

"  What !  "  exclaimed  James,  astonished  almost 
beyond  measure  by  the  disclosure  ;  "  do  you  mean 
to  say  that  you  wrote  those  articles  ?  " 

"  Certainly  I  do." 

"  But  it  is  not  your  handwriting." 

"I  disguised  my  hand  in  order  to  conceal  the 
authorship." 

"  What  could  possibly  bo  your  object  in  doing 
so?" 

"  That  the  articles  might  be  fairly  examined.  If 
I  had  proposed  to  write  an  article  for  your  paper, 
you  would  have  said  that  I,  a  printer-boy,  could 
write  nothing  worthy  of  print." 

Here  the  conversation  dropped,  and  James  ap 
peared  to  be  abstracted  in  thought.  He  said  but 
little  about  the  matter  to  Benjamin,  neither  com 
mending  nor  censuring,  until  his  literary  friends 
came  in  again. 

"  I  have  discovered  the  author  of  those  articles," 
said  James. 


124  THE    PRINTER-BOY. 

"  You  have  ?  who  can  it  be  ?  "  one  asked. 

"  No  one  that  you  have  dreamed  of,"  answered 
James. 

"  Do  tell  us  who  it  is,  and  put  an  end  to  our 
anxiety,"  said  one  of  the  number,  who  could  hardly 
wait  for  the  desired  information. 

"  There  he  is,"  replied  James,  pointing  to  Benja 
min,  who  was  setting  up  types  a  little  more  briskly 
than  usual.  The  whole  company  were  amazed. 

"  Can  it  be  ?  "  cried  out  one  ;  "  you  are  joking." 

Now  Benjamin  had  to  speak  for  himself ;  for  they 
all  turned  to  him  with  their  inquiries,  as  if  they 
thought  there  must  be  some  mistake  or  deception 
about  the  matter.  But  he  found  little  difficulty  in 
convincing  them  that  he  was  the  real  author  of  the 
pieces ;  whereupon  they  commended  him  in  a  man 
ner  that  was  rather  perilous  to  one  who  had  the 
smallest  share  of  pride  in  his  heart. 

From  that  time,  Benjamin  was  a  favorite  with  the 
literary  visitors  at  the  office.  They  showed  him 
much  more  attention  than  they  did  James,  and  said 
so  much  in  his  praise,  as  a  youth  of  such  unusual 
promise,  that  James  became  jealous  and  irritable. 
He  was  naturally  passionate  and  tyrannical,  and 
this  sudden  and  unexpected  exaltation  of  Benjamin 
developed  his  overbearing  spirit.  He  began  to  find 
fault  seriously  and  unreasonably  with  him,  and  a 
disposition  to  oppress  him  was  soon  apparent.  He 
went  so  far  as  to  beat  him  severely  with  a  rod,  on 


THE   CAT   OUT   OF   THE  BAG.  125 

several  occasions,  reconciling  the  matter  with  his 
conscience  by  saying  that  he  was  master,  and  Ben 
jamin  was  his  apprentice.  His  whole  conduct  to 
ward  his  younger  brother  was  unjust  and  cruel,  and 
the  latter  became  restive  and  discontented  under  it. 
He  made  known  his  grievances  to  his  father,  who 
censured  James  for  his  conduct,  and  took  the  part 
of  Benjamin.  But  the  best  efforts  of  his  father  to 
reconcile  matters  proved  abortive,  because  James's 
manifest  opposition  was  so  aroused  against  his 
brother,  on  account  of  his  sudden  rise  to  compara 
tive  distinction.  Other  causes  might  have  operated 
to  awaken  James's  hostility,  but  this  was  evidently 
a  prominent  one. 

Benjamin  was  so  dissatisfied  with  his  treatment 
that  he  resolved  to  leave  his  brother  as  soon  as 
possible.  He  was  indentured  to  him,  as  we  have 
seen,  so  that  it  was  difficult  for  him  to  get  away. 
Being  bound  to  him  until  he  became  twenty-one 
years  of  age,  the  law  held  him  firmly  there,  not 
withstanding  the  injustice  he  experienced.  Still, 
for  the  present,  he  labored  on  in  the  office,  and  the 
paper  continued  to  be  issued. 

We  are  reminded  that  the  printing-office  has 
furnished  many  eminent  scholars  to  the  world. 
Young  men  have  there  come  in  contact  with 
printed  matter  that  has  aroused  their  intellects  to 
action,  and  caused  them  to  press  onward,  with  new 
resolves,  in  paths  of  usefulness  and  renown.  It  is 


126  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

our  good  fortune  to  know  several  clergymen  in  New 
England  who  were  printer-boys  in  their  youth,  and 
all  of  them  rank  high  in  their  profession.  One  of 
them  is  scarcely  second  to  any  divine  in  the  country, 
in  respect  to  certain  endowments  and  attainments. 
His  mental  precocity  was  observed  by  some  literary 
person  who  visited  the  office,  and  cultivated  his 
acquaintance,  and  this  led  to  removing  him  from 
the  business  and  placing  him  in  a  school,  where  he 
could  enjoy  the  opportunity  to  improve  his  talents. 
In  the  other  learned  professions,  there  arc  not  a  few 
whose  love  of  learning  was  begotten,  or  developed, 
when  they  worked  at  this  trade. 

In  the  case  of  Benjamin,  the  circumstance  of  his 
connection  with  the  office  just  at  the  time  a  new 
paper  was  established  called  out  a  certain  kind  of 
talent  he  possessed,  and  thus  helped  to  make  him 
what  he  became.  Success  depends  in  a  great  meas 
ure  in  early  directing  the  young  in  the  path  to 
which  their  natural  endowments  point.  Thus  Lord 
Nelson,  who  distinguished  himself  in  the  service  of 
his  country,  was  early  placed  in  just  those  circum 
stances  that  appealed  to  his  fortitude  and  other 
heroic  attributes.  That  he  possessed  by  nature 
remarkable  courage  and  determination,  in  connec 
tion  with  other  qualities  that  usually  accompany 
these,  is  evident  from  an  incident  of  his  childhood. 
One  day  he  strayed  from  home  with  a  cow-boy  in 
search  of  birds'  nests,  and  being  missed  at  dinner- 


THE   CAT   OUT   OF   THE  BAG.  127 

time,  and  inquiries  made  for  him,  the  startling  sus 
picion  was  awakened  that  he  had  been  carried  off  by 
Gypsies.  The  alarm  of  his  parents  was  great,  and  a 
careful  search  was  instituted,  when  he  was  found 
sitting  on  the  banks  of  a  stream  which  he  could  not 
cross,  unconcerned  and  happy. 

"  I  wonder,  child,"  said  his  grandmother,  when 
he  was  brought  back  in  safety  to  the  family,  "  that 
hunger  and  fear  did  not  drive  you  home." 

"  Fear  !  "  exclaimed  the  heroic  lad,  "  I  never  saw 
fear,  —  what  is  it  ?  " 

He  was  taken  by  his  uncle  into  the  naval  service 
while  he  was  yet  a  boy,  where  the  scenes  of  every 
day  were  suited  to  develop  and  strengthen  the 
heroic  qualities  of  his  nature.  He  became  known 
to  the  world,  not  merely  for  his  victories  at  Trafal 
gar  and  on  the  Nile,  but  for  other  essential  service 
rendered  to  his  native  land. 

The  same  was  true  of  Buxton,  Wilberforce,  Pas 
cal,  Handel,  Canova,  Dr.  Chalmers,  and  many  oth 
ers.  Providence  opened  before  them  the  path  to 
which  their  native  qualities  directed. 

We  have  spoken  of  the  advantage  of  occasion 
ally  writing  compositions,  as  Benjamin  was  wont  to 
write,  and  another  fact  illustrating  this  point  has 
just  come  to  our  notice.  It  is  an  incident  belong 
ing  to  the  history  of  the  Boston  Young  Men's  Tem 
perance  Society,  intimately  connected  with  one 
referred  to  in  "  THE  BOBBIN-BOY."  In  addition  to 


128  THE   PRINTER-BOY. 

its  being  a  temperance  organization,  it  was  sus 
tained  for  mutual  mental  improvement.  With 
other  exercises,  the  members  read  lectures  of  their 
own  preparing  at  their  meetings,  —  a  very  important 
and  valuable  arrangement.  One  evening  a  member 
delivered  a  lecture  upon  the  character  and  objects 
of  the  society,  which  was  listened  to  by  a  young 
man  who  dropped  into  the  hall  for  the  first  time. 
He  was  so  well  pleased  with  the  design  of  the  asso 
ciation,  as  set  forth  in  the  lecture,  that  he  joined  it 
at  the  close  of  the  exercises.  He  began  at  once  to 
fulfil  the  requirements  of  the  society  in  writing 
compositions,  and  they  were  so  well  written  that 
the  author  of  the  aforesaid  lecture  said  to  him  one 
evening,  — 

"  Why  do  you  not  write  something  for  the  press  ? 
If  I  possessed  your  ability  I  should  do  it." 

The  young  man  received  the  compliment  with 
becoming  modesty,  expressing  some  lack  of  confi 
dence  in  his  abilities  ;  but  it  set  him  to  thinking. 
The  result  was  that  he  prepared  a  short  article  for 
a  Boston  paper,  which  was  accepted  ;  and  the  way 
was  thereby  opened  to  his  becoming  a  constant  con 
tributor  to  its  columns.  The  end  is  not  yet,  though 
he  is  now  the  author  of  the  popular  "  Optic  Li 
brary."  Thus  so  small  a  matter  as  writing  a  brief 
article  for  a  newspaper  may  herald  a  career  of  liter 
ary  fame. 


XIV. 

THE  AEEEST, 

"  TTAVE  YOU  heard  what  they  are  doing  in 

XI  the  Assembly  ?  "  asked  Benjamin  one  after 
noon,  as  he  entered  the  office  under  considerable 
excitement,  addressing  his  inquiry  to  James. 

"  Doing  ?  "  answered  James  ;  "  doing  their  busi 
ness,  I  suppose;"  —  a  reply  that  did  not  indicate 
precisely  his  knowledge  of  the  legislative  doings, 
since  he  had  heard  of  the  business  before  them,  and 
was  somewhat  troubled  by  it. 

"  They  are  certainly  going  to  arrest  you  for  libel, 
and  I  heard  a  gentleman  say,  in  the  street,  that  they 
would  show  you  no  favor ;  "  and  Benjamin  made 
this  revelation  with  considerable  warmth  of  feeling. 
The  idea  of  his  brother's  arrest  and  imprisonment 
excited  him  in  no  small  degree. 

On  the  same  day  the  following  order  was  passed 
in  the  General  Court :  — 

"  IN  COUNCIL,  Jan.  14, 1722. 

"Whereas   the   paper,  called   the   New-England 
Courant,  of  this  day's  date,  contains  many  passages 
in  which  the  Holy  Scriptures  are  perverted,  and  the 
6*  i 


130  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

Civil  Government,  Ministers,  and  People   of  this 
Province  highly  reflected  on, 

"  Ordered,  That  William  Tailor,  Samuel  Sewcll, 
and  Penn  Townsend,  Esqrs.,  with  such  as  the  Hon 
orable  House  of  Representatives  shall  join,  be  a 
committee  to  consider  and  report  what  is  proper  for 
the  Court  to  do  thereon." 

The  House  of  Representatives  concurred,  and  the 
committee  reported  :  — 

"  That  James  Franklin,  the  printer  and  publisher 
thereof  (the  Courant),  be  strictly  forbidden  by  this 
Court  to  print  or  publish  the  New-England  Courant, 
or  any  other  pamphlet  or  paper  of  the  like  nature, 
except  it  be  first  supervised  by  the  Secretary  of  this 
Province  ;  and  the  Justices  of  his  Majesty's  Sessions 
of  the  Peace  for  the  County  of  Suffolk,  at  their  next 
adjournment,  be  directed  to  take  sufficient  bonds  of 
the  said  Franklin  for  twelve  months'  time." 

The  result  was,  that  James  was  arrested  and  con 
fined  four  weeks  in  the  "  stone  gaol,"  from  which 
he  was  released  by  his  voluntary  pledge  to  regard 
the  honor  of  the  Court.  Benjamin  was  arrested, 
also  ;  but  was  discharged  on  the  ground  that  he 
acted  as  an  apprentice,  and  was  obliged  to  do  the 
bidding  of  his  master. 

It  appears  that  there  was  considerable  dissatisfac 
tion  in  the  Province  with  the  British  government, 
under  which  the  people  lived.  The  Courant  es- 


THE   ARREST.  131 

poused  the  cause  of  the  dissatisfied  party,  and,  per 
haps  unwisely,  attacked  the  government  and  its 
officers,  together  with  the  ministers  of  the  Gospel, 
whose  sympathies  seemed  to  be  with  the  dominant 
party.  It  was  a  time  of  considerable  excitement, 
so  that  a  little  firebrand  thrown  into  the  commu 
nity  was  sure  to  make  a  great  fire.  But  the  imme 
diate  cause  of  his  arrest  was  the  appearance  of  the 
following  article  in  his  paper,  which  was  a  slur  upon 
the  government  for  tardiness  in  fitting  out  a  ship 
to  cruise  after  a  pirate  seen  off  Block  Island.  The 
article  purported  to  be  written  by  a  correspondent 
in  Newport,  R.  I.,  and  read  thus :  — 

"  We  are  advised  from  Boston,  that  the  govern 
ment  of  the  Massachusetts  are  fitting  out  a  ship  to 
go  after  the  pirates,  to  be  commanded  by  Captain 
Peter  Papillon,  and  'tis  thought  he  will  sail  some 
time  this  month,  wind  and  weather  permitting" 

This  well-pointed  censure,  in  connection  with  the 
many  flings  and  attacks  that  had  preceded  it, 
aroused  the  General  Court  to  act  in  their  defence 
without  delay. 

The  club  under  whose  auspices  the  Courant  was 
conducted  assembled  at  the  office  as  soon  as  they 
knew  the  decision  of  the  Court,  to  consider  what 
should  be  done. 

"  It  is  certain,"  said  one,  "  that  you  cannot  con 
tinue  to  issue  the  paper  against  the  action  of  the 
Court." 


132  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

"  Not  in  his  own  name,"  suggested  another.  "  It 
may  still  be  published  in  the  name  of  another  per 
son,  and  thus  the  legislative  order  will  be  evaded." 

"  How  will  it  do  to  issue  it  in  Benjamin's  name  ?  " 
inquired  James. 

"  That  cannot  be  done,  for  he  is  only  an  appren 
tice,  as  could  be  very  readily  proved,"  was  the 
reply. 

"  I  can  easily  meet  that  difficulty,"  answered 
James,  who  was  usually  ready  for  a  shrewd  evasion 
in  such  a  case. 

"  Pray,  tell  us  how,"  asked  one  of  the  number, 
who  was  disposed  to  think  that  the  days  of  the  Cou- 
rant  were  nuihbered.  "  By  changing  the  name  ?  " 

"No,  I  would  not  change  the  name.  I  will  re 
turn  his  indenture,  with  his  discharge  upon  the  back 
of  it,  and  he  can  show  it  in  case  of  necessity.  "We 
can  understand  the  matter  between  us,  while  he  will 
be  his  own  man  whenever  any  trouble  may  arise 
about  his  apprenticeship." 

All  agreed  that  this  plan  would  work  well,  and  it 
was  accordingly  adopted. 

"  Benjamin  Franklin,  publisher  and  proprietor," 
said  one  of  the  club,  rising  from  his  seat  and  patting 
Benjamin  on  the  shoulder.  u  What  do  you  think  of 
that,  my  son  ?  Rather  of  a  young  fellow  to  under 
take  such  an  enterprise,  but  a  match,  I  guess,  for 
the  General  Court  of  the  Province." 

Benjamin  was  quite  unprepared  to  reply  to  the 


THE  ARREST.  133 

merriment  of  the  club  on  the  occasion  over  his  unex 
pected  introduction  to  an  office  of  which  he  did  not 
dream  in  the  morning.  He  was  now  to  appear  be 
fore  the  public  in  quite  another  relation  than  that  of 
apprentice,  —  probably  the  youngest  conductor  of  a 
newspaper  who  ever  lived  in  our  country,  for  he  was 
only  sixteen  years  of  age. 

Henceforth  the  paper  appeared  in  the  name  of 
Benjamin  Franklin,  occasioning,  by  all  the  circum 
stances,  no  little  excitement  in  town. 

James  was  conveyed  to  prison,  and  during  his 
confinement,  Benjamin  had  the  whole  management 
of  the  paper,  in  which  he  took  occasion  to  speak  very 
plainly  and  boldly  against  the  government.  Not- 
withstanding  the  difficulty  that  existed  between  him 
and  his  brother,  his  heart  was  stirred  with  resent 
ment  against  the  Court  for  sending  him  to  jail,  and 
he  espoused  his  cause  with  as  much  sympathy  and 
good-will  apparently,  as  he  could  have  done  if  no 
difference  had  disturbed  their  intercourse.  This  was 
honorable  in  Benjamin,  and  showed  that  he  possessed 
a  true  brother's  heart.  For  three  years  the  paper 
was  published  in  his  name,  although  he  did  not  re 
main  with  James  so  long. 

We  have  referred  to  the  time  of  Benjamin's  boy 
hood  as  a  period  of  public  excitement  and  disturb 
ance.  Great  alarm  was  frequently  occasioned,  for 
some  time  before  and  some  time  after  his  birth,  by 
the  depredations  of  the  Indians.  The  French  were 


134  THE  PEINTER-BOY. 

hostile  to  Great  Britain ;  so  they  sought  to  stir  up, 
and  ally  themselves  with,  the  savages,  in  making 
inroads  upon  the  Colonies.  The  consequence  was, 
"  wars  and  rumors  of  wars,"  with  actual  massacres 
and  bloodshed.  Benjamin's  ears,  in  his  early  life, 
were  often  saluted  with  the  harrowing  tales  of  slaugh 
ter  and  conflagration,  an  experience  that  may  have 
qualified  him,  in  a  measure,  to  act  the  prominent 
part  he  did  in  achieving  the  independence  of  his 
country,  half  a  century  thereafter.  Eev.  Dr.  Wil- 
lard,  who  baptized  him,  was  driven  from  the  town 
of  Groton  by  the  Indians  in  1675.  Later  still,  only 
three  years  before  the  birth  of  Benjamin,  the  town 
of  Deerfield  was  attacked  and  burned  by  these  sav 
age  tribes,  instigated  and  led  on  by  the  French,  — 
and  "upwards  of  forty  persons  were  slain,  and  more 
than  a  hundred  were  made  prisoners."  "  When  the 
sun  was  an  hour  high,  the  work  was  finished,  and 
the  enemy  took  their  departure,  leaving  the  snow 
reddened  with  blood,  and  the  deserted  village  en 
veloped  in  flames."  Only  two  or  three  years  after 
his  birth,  the  famous  attack  upon  Haverhill  was 
made,  when  the  Indians  massacred  men,  women, 
and  children  indiscriminately,  a  few  only  escaping 
their  terrible  vengeance.  The  stories  of  such  dread 
ful  cruelties  and  sufferings  were  fresh  in  Benjamin's 
boyhood,  and  their  effect  upon  the  youthful  mind 
was  heightened  by  the  frequent  reports  of  outbreaks 
and  anticipated  Indian  attacks  from  different  quar- 


THE  ARREST.  135 

ters.  Tims  born  and  reared  in  troublous  times,  our 
hero  was  prepared  to  work  out  his  destiny  in  the 
most  perilous  period  of  American  history. 

A  single  item  published  in  the  Courant  about  this 
time,  will  show  the  young  reader  that  Boston  and  its 
environs  of  that  early  day  did  not  much  resemble 
the  same  city  now.  The  item  is  the  following :  — 

"  It  is  thought  that  not  less  than  20  Bears  have 
been  killed  in  about  a  week's  time  within  two  miles 
of  Boston.  Two  have  been  killed  below  the  Castle, 
as  they  were  swimming  from  one  island  to  another, 
and  one  attempted  to  board  a  boat  out  in  the  bay, 
but  the  men  defended  themselves  so  well  with  the 
boat-hook  and  oars,  that  they  put  out  her  eyes,  and 
then  killed  her.  On  Tuesday  last  two  were  killed  at 
Dorchester,  one  of  which  weighed  60  pounds  a  quar 
ter.  We  hear  from  Providence  that  the  bears  ap 
pear  to  be  very  thick  in  those  parts." 


XV. 

THE  EUNAWAY, 

NOT  LONG  after  James  was  released  from 
prison,  a  fresh  difficulty  arose  between  Benja 
min  and  himself.  In  the  quarrel  they  seemed  to 
forget  that  they  were  brothers,  who  ought  to  be 
united  by  strong  ties  of  affection.  James  contin 
ued  to  be  passionate  and  domineering,  treating  his 
brother  with  harshness,  sometimes  even  beating 
him,  notwithstanding  he  was  the  nominal  publisher 
and  editor  of  a  paper.  Benjamin  thought  he  was 
too  old  to  be  treated  thus,  —  whipped  like  a  little 
boy,  —  and  the  result  was  that  he  asserted  his  free 
dom. 

"  I  am  my  own  man  from  this  time,"  he  cried, 
holding  up  his  indenture  which  his  brother  returned 
to  him,  as  we  saw  in  a  former  chapter,  in  order  to 
evade  the  officers  of  justice.  "  These  papers  make 
me  free,  and  I  shall  take  advantage  of  them  to  leave 
you,"  and  he  fairly  shook  them  in  James's  face. 

"  You  know  that  I  never  gave  them  up  because  I 
relinquished  the  bargain  we  had  made,"  said  James. 
"  If  you  use  them  to  assert  your  freedom,  you  will 
be  guilty  of  a  base  act." 


THE  RUNAWAY.  137 

"  I  shall  so  use  the  papers,"  replied  Benjamin, 
defiantly.  "  I  have  borne  such  treatment  long 
enough,  and  I  shall  submit  no  longer." 

"  We  shall  see  about  that,"  continued  James. 
"  Father  will  have  a  word  to  say  about  it,  you  will 
find." 

"  Yes,  and  he  will  probably  say  that  you  have 
abused  me,  and  that  you  ought  to  control  your 
temper  and  treat  me  better,"  responded  Benjamin. 
"  He  always  has  decided  in  my  favor,  and  I  have 
no  fears  about  his  decision  now." 

It  was  not  fair  in  Benjamin  to  take  this  advantage 
of  his  brother,  and  he  knew  it,  but  his  resentment 
triumphed  over  his  regard  for  right  at  the  time. 
James  returned  his  indenture  only  that  he  might  be 
able  to  publish  the  paper  unmolested.  It  was  a  de 
ceitful  arrangement  in  the  first  place,  and  Benja 
min's  use  of  the  papers  to  assert  his  liberty  was  no 
more  unfair  and  sinful  than  was  James's  device  to 
make  him  the  proprietor  of  the  paper,  and  thus 
evade  the  law.  James  was  paid  in  his  own  coin. 
He  laid  a  plan  to  cheat  the  government,  and  he  got 
cheated  himself.  He  was  snared  in  the  work  of  his 
own  hands.  This,  however,  did  not  justify  Benja 
min  in  his  course,  as  he  afterwards  saw,  and  frankly 
confessed. 

Benjamin  persisted  in  asserting  his  freedom,  and 
James  appealed  to  his  father.  After  the  latter  had 
examined  the  affair,  all  the  while  knowing  that 


138  THE  PKINTER-BOY. 

James  was  passionate  and  overbearing,  he  decided 
against  Benjamin.  The  advantage  which  the  latter 
took  of  James  to  gain  his  freedom  probably  influ 
enced  Mr.  Franklin  to  decide  in  favor  of  the  former. 
This  was  unexpected  to  Benjamin,  and  was  not 
received  with  a  very  good  grace.  It  did  not  change 
his  determination,  however,  and  he  was  still  resolved 
to  be  free.  He  refused  to  labor  any  more  for  his 
brother,  and  went  forth  to  look  for  employment  else 
where.  There  were  a  number  of  other  printers  in 
town,  to  whom  he  applied  for  work ;  but  he  found, 
to  his  surprise,  that  his  brother  had  anticipated  him, 
and  been  round  to  persuade  them  not  to  hire  him. 

"  He  has  violated  a  solemn  contract,"  said  he  to 
one,  "  and  he  will  violate  any  contract  he  will  make 
with  you.  Besides,  if  you  refuse  to  hire  him,  he 
will  be  obliged  to  return  and  labor  for  me." 

The  printers  all  sympathized  with  James,  and 
accordingly  refused  to  give  Benjamin  work.  He 
found  himself  in  a  very  unpleasant  situation  on  that 
account,  without  the  means  of  earning  his  bread, 
and,  in  one  sense,  without  a  home,  since  he  had  dis 
regarded  his  father's  counsel  in  not  returning  to  his 
brother.  He  learned,  also,  that  some  good  people 
considered  him  no  better  than  an  infidel. 

"  Nothing  less  than  the  loosest  sceptic,"  said  one 
good  man.  "  He  hates  the  truth  with  all  his  heart, 
as  much  that  he  writes  plainly  shows.  His  influ 
ence  in  the  community  is  very  bad,  and  it  is  grow 
ing  worse  and  worse." 


THE  miNAWAY.  139 

Good  people  thus  misjudged  Benjamin.  Some 
went  so  far  as  to  call  him  an  "atheist."  His 
attacks  upon  the  clergy  and  government,  in  his 
paper,  created  so  much  excitement,  that  he  was 
understood  to  mean  worse  than  he  did. 

All  these  things  served  to  wean  Benjamin  from 
Boston,  and  he  concluded  that  he  would  seek  his 
fortune  elsewhere.  He  embraced  the  first  oppor 
tunity  to  confer  with  his  old  friend,  John  Collins, 
on  the  subject. 

"  John,  I  am  going  to  New  York,"  he  said. 

"  To  New  York  ?  "  exclaimed  John.  "  What  has 
started  you  off  there  ?  " 

"  Enough  to  start  anybody.  I  have  been  banged 
about  long  enough,  and  now  can  get  no  work  at  all ; 
so  I  must  go  or  starve." 

"  How  so  ?  "  inquired  John,  "  I  don't  understand 

you  ? " 

"  The  case  is  just  this,"  said  Benjamin.  "  James 
has  treated  me  very  harshly  for  a  long  time,  and  I 
have  submitted.  But  I  had  a  good  opportunity  to 
make  myself  free,  and  I  have  improved  it.  When 
James  was  put  into  prison  for  libel,  he  returned  to 
me  my  indenture  with  my  discharge  written  on  the 
back,  to  show  in  case  the  government  interfered 
with  my  publishing  the  paper.  He  did  not  mean, 
of  course,  that  I  should  be  released  from  my  obli 
gations  to  him;  but  he  has  treated  me  so  unmer 
cifully  lately  that  I  have  taken  advantage  of  the 
paper,  and  broken  my  engagement  with  him." 


140  THE  PKINTER-BOY. 

"  You  have  got  round  him  this  time,  surely/' 
said  John.  «  How  does  he  feel  about  it  ?  " 

"  He  has  appealed  to  father,  and  father  has  decid 
ed  against  me,  and  advised  me  to  go  back ;  but  I 
am  not  at  all  disposed  to  do  it." 

"  I  would  work  in  some  other  printing-office," 
added  John,  "  before  I  would  go  to  New  York." 

"  But  I  can  get  work  nowhere  else.  I  have  been 
to  every  office,  and  they  all  refuse  to  employ  me, 
because  my  brother  went  to  them  before  me,  and 
told  his  story,  and  made  them  promise  not  to  hire 
me." 

"  I  suppose  he  thought  by  so  doing  to  compel  you 
to  come  back  to  him,"  suggested  John. 

"  I  suppose  so ;  but  he  will  find  himself  mis 
taken.  I  shall  go  to  New  York  as  soon  as  I  can 
get  away." 

"  What  does  your  father  say  about  your  going  off 
so  far  ? " 

"  I  have  said  nothing  to  him  about  it,  and  do  not 
intend  to.  He  would  stop  my  going  at  once  if  he 
knew  it." 

"How  can  you  get  away  without  letting  him 
know  it  ?  " 

"  That  remains  to  be  seen,"  answered  Benja 
min.  "  I  shall  want  some  of  your  help  about  it, 
I  guess." 

"  I  am  at  your  service,"  said  John,  "  though  it 
seems  very  little  that  I  can  do  to  hasten  your 


THE  RUNAWAY.  141 

flight ;  "  but  he  had  hardly  uttered  the  last  sentence 
before  a  new  thought  flashed  upon  his  mind,  and 
he  added  with  great  earnestness,  "  Yes  I  can,  too  ; 
I  have  seen  the  captain  of  that  New  York  sloop  in 
the  harbor,  and  I  can  make  a  bargain  with  him  to 
take  you  there." 

"  But  he  will  want  to  know  who  I  am,  and  will 
refuse  to  take  me  when  he  finds  that  I  am  a  run 
away." 

"  I  can  manage  that,  if  you  will  leave  it  to  me," 
answered  John.  "  I  will  pledge  you  that  he  will 
never  know  that  your  name  is  Franklin." 

"  I  agree,  then,  to  commit  myself  to  your  care. 
See  that  you  manage  the  affair  well,  for  to  New 
York  I  must  go." 

They  parted  ;  and  John  hurried  away  to  see  the 
aforesaid  captain. 

"Can  you  take  a  friend  of  mine  to  New  York  ?  " 
he  asked. 

"  That  depends  on  circumstances,"  answered  the 
captain.  "  Who  is  your  friend  ?  "  —  a  very  natu 
ral  inquiry,  —  precisely  such  a  one  as  Benjamin 
thought  would  be  made. 

"  He  is  a  young  man  about  my  age,  a  printer, 
and  he  is  going  to  New  York  to  get  work,"  replied 
John. 

"  Why  don't  he  get  work  in  Boston  ?  "  inquired 
the  captain. 

John  saw  that  there  was  no  evading  the  captain's 


142  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

questions,  and  so  lie  suddenly  resolved  to  fabricate 
a  story,  in  other  words,  to  tell  a  base  lie. 

"  Well,"  said  John,  "  if  I  must  tell  you  the  whole 
story,  the  case  is  this.  He  is  a  young  fellow  who 
has  been  flirting  with  a  girl,  who  wants  to  marry 
him,  and  now  her  parents  are  determined  that  he 
shall  marry  her,  and  he  is  determined  that  he  will 
not,  and  he  proposes  to  remove  secretly  to  New 
York.  He  would  have  come  to  see  you  himself,  but 
it  is  not  safe  for  him  to  appear  out  so  publicly, 
and  therefore  he  sent  me  to  do  the  business." 

A  youth  who  can  fabricate  a  falsehood  so  unblush- 
ingly  as  John  did  this  is  a  candidate  for  ruin.  The 
reader  will  not  be  surprised  to  learn,  before  the 
whole  story  is  told,  that  he  became  a  miserable, 
wicked  man.  This  single  lie  proved  that  he  was 
destitute  of  moral  principle,  and  would  do  almost 
anything  to  carry  his  project. 

For  some  unaccountable  reason,  the  captain  was 
taken  with  this  device,  and  consented  to  carry  Ben 
jamin  to  New  York.  He  arranged  to  receive  him 
clandestinely,  and  to  have  him  on  his  way  before 
any  suspicion  of  his  plans  was  awakened. 

John  hastened  to  inform  Benjamin  of  the  success 
of  his  enterprise,  and  to  congratulate  him  upon  his 
fair  prospect  of  getting  away. 

"  Money  is  the  next  thing,"  said  Benjamin.  "  I 
can't  go  without  money.  I  must  sell  my  books  for 
something,  though  I  dislike  to  part  with  them." 


THE  RUNAWAY.  143 

"  They  will  sell  quick  enough,"  said  John,  "  and 
will  bring  you  a  very  pretty  sum  to  start  with. 

Benjamin  lost  no  time  in  disposing  of  his  little 
library  for  what  it  would  bring,  and  he  managed  to 
get  his  clothes  together  without  exciting  suspicion ; 
and,  with  the  assistance  of  John,  he  boarded  the 
sloop  privately  just  before  she  sailed. 

"  Good  luck  to  you,  Ben,"  said  John,  as  they 
shook  hands. 

"  Good  by,"  answered  Benjamin  with  a  heavy 
heart,  just  beginning  to  feel  that  he  was  going  away 
from  home.  "  See  that  you  tell  no  tales  out  of 
school." 

Thus  they  parted ;  and  the  sloop  sailed  for  New 
York,  where  she  arrived  in  three  days.  Benjamin 
did  not  know  a  person  in  that  city,  nor  had  he  a 
single  letter  of  recommendation  to  any  one,  and  the 
money  in  his  pocket  was  but  a  trifle.  It  was  in  Oc 
tober,  1723,  that  he  arrived  in  New  York.  Think 
of  a  lad  seventeen  years  of  age  running  away  from 
home,  entering  a  large  city  without  a  solitary  ac 
quaintance,  and  possessing  scarcely  money  enough 
to  pay  for  a  week's  board !  He  must  have  carried 
some  sad,  lonely  feelings  in  his  heart  along  those 
strange  streets,  and  possibly  his  conscience  sorely 
upbraided  him  for  his  course. 

Benjamin  behaved  very  unwisely  and  wickedly  in 
tliis  affair.  Although  his  brother  was  severely  harsh 
in  his  treatment  of  him,  it  was  not  sufficient  reason 


144  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

for  his  running  away  from  home,  and  he  was  quite 
thoroughly  convinced  of  this  at  an  early  day.  Such 
an  act  is  one  of  the  most  flagrant  sins  that  a  youth 
can  commit,  although  circumstances  may  render  it 
less  guilty  in  some  cases  than  in  others.  In  the 
case  of  Benjamin,  the  unkind  treatment  which  he 
received  at  the  hand  of  his  brother  relieved  his  sin 
somewhat,  though  it  by  no  means  excused  it. 

There  is  not  a  more  unpleasant  occurrence  in  the 
whole  life  of  Benjamin  Franklin  than  this  quarrel 
with  his  brother.  We  charge  the  difficulty  mainly 
upon  James,  of  course,  but  this  does  not  blot  out 
the  unpleasantness  of  the  affair.  A  quarrel  between 
brothers  is  always  painful  in  the  extreme,  and  is 
discreditable  to  all  parties  concerned.  Dr.  Watts 
has  very  beautifully  written,  for  the  admonition  of 
little  children,  what  older  ones  may  well  ponder :  — 

"  Whatever  brawls  disturb  the  street, 
There  should  be  peace  at  home  : 
Where  sisters  dwell  and  brothers  meet, 
Quarrels  should  never  come. 

"  Birds  in  their  little  nests  agree ; 

And 't  is  a  shameful  sight, 
When  children  of  one  family 
Fall  out,  and  chide,  and  fight. 

"  Hard  names,  at  first,  and  threatening  words, 

That  are  but  noisy  breath, 
May  grow  to  clubs  and  naked  swords, 
To  murder  and  to  death." 


THE  RUNAWAY.  145 

At  this  crisis  of  Benjamin's  life,  it  seemed  as  if 
he  was  on  the  highway  to  ruin.  There  is  scarcely 
one  similar  case  in  ten,  where  the  runaway  escapes 
the  vortex  of  degradation.  Benjamin  would  not 
have  been  an  exception,  but  for  his  early  religious 
culture  and  the  grace  of  God. 

The  case  of  William  Button,  who  was  the  son  of 
very  poor  parents,  is  not  altogether  unlike  that  of 
Benjamin  Franklin.  He  was  bound  to  his  uncle 
for  a  series  of  years,  but  he  treated  him  so  harshly 
that  he  ran  away,  at  seventeen  years  of  age.  The 
record  is,  that  "  on  the  12th  day  of  July,  1741,  the 
ill-treatment  he  received  from  his  uncle,  in  the 
shape  of  a  brutal  flogging,  with  a  birch-broom  han 
dle  of  white  hazel,  which  almost  killed  him,  caused 
him  to  run  away."  A  dark  prospect  was  before 
him,  since  "  he  had  only  twopence  in  his  pocket, 
a  spacious  world  before  him,  and  no  plan  af  oper 
ation."  Yet  he  afterwards  became  an  author  of 
some  celebrity,  and  a  most  exemplary  and  esteemed 
man.  He  lived  to  the  age  of  ninety,  his  last  days 
being  gladdened  by  the  reflection  of  having  lived  a 
useful  life,  and  the  consciousness  of  sharing  the  con 
fidence  of  his  fellow-men. 


XVI. 

ANOTHEB    TRIP  AND  ITS  TEIALS. 

ON  ARRIVING-  at  New  York,  Benjamin  applied 
to  a  well-known  printer,  Mr.  William  Brad 
ford,  for  work. 

"  Where  are  you  from  ?  "  he  inquired. 

"  From  Boston,"  was  Benjamin's  reply. 

"  Used  to  the  printing  business  ?  " 

"  Yes,  that  is  my  trade.  I  have  worked  at  it 
several  years." 

"  I  am  sorry  I  cannot  employ  you.  But  just  now 
my  business  is  small,  and  I  have  all  the  help  I 
need," 

"  What  do  you  think  of  the  prospect  of  getting 
work  at  some  other  office  in  the  town  ? "  inquired 
Benjamin. 

"  Not  very  flattering,  I  am  sorry  to  say.  Dull 
times,  my  son,  very  dull  indeed.  But  I  can  tell 
you  where  you  can  find  employment,  I  think.  My 
son  carries  on  the  printing  business  in  Philadelphia, 
and  one  of  his  men  died  the  other  day.  I  think  he 
would  be  glad  to  employ  you." 

"  How  far  is  it  to  Philadelphia  ?  " 


ANOTHER   TRIP   AND  ITS   TRIALS.  147 

"  It  is  a  hundred  miles,"  replied  Mr.  Bradford, 
"  a  much  shorter  distance  than  you  have  already 
travelled." 

Benjamin  looked  somewhat  disappointed  when 
he  found  that  Philadelphia  was  a  hundred  miles 
farther  ;  still,  he  was  after  work,  and  he  was  deter 
mined  to  find  it ;  so  he  made  inquiries  about  the 
mode  of  conveyance,  and  left  Mr.  Bradford,  thank 
ing  him  for  his  kindness.  Immediately  he  engaged 
a  passage  in  a  boat  to  Amboy,  and  made  arrange 
ments  for  his  chest  to  be  carried  round  by  sea.  He 
was  less  disheartened,  probably,  on  account  of  the 
assurance  of  Mr.  Bradford  that  his  son  would  em 
ploy  him.  If  he  could  procure  work  by  travelling 
a  hundred  miles  more,  he  would  cheerfully  do  it,  al 
though  a  journey  of  a  hundred  miles  then  was  about 
equal  to  one  thousand  now. 

At  the  appointed  time  Benjamin  went  aboard,  and 
the  boat  started.  She  had  not  proceeded  far  when  a 
squall  struck  her,  tore  her  rotten  sails  to  pieces,  and 
drove  her  upon  Long  Island.  Before  this,  however, 
a  drunken  Dutchman,  who  was  also  a  passenger,  fell 
overboard,  and  would  have  lost  his  life  but  for  the 
timely  assistance  of  our  printer-boy.  Springing  to 
the  side  of  the  boat,  Benjamin  reached  over  and 
seized  him  by  the  hair  of  his  head  as  he  rose,  and 
drew  him  on  board. 

"  He  may  thank  you  for  saving  his  life,"  exclaimed 
one  of  the  boatmen. 


148  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

"  He  is  too  drunk  for  that,"  answered  Benjamin. 
"  It  will  sober  him  some,  however,  I  am  thinking. 
He  came  within  one  of  giving  up  the  ghost.  Hal 
loo,  here,  you  Dutchman  ! "  (turning  to  the  drunken 
man,)  "  how  do  you  like  diving  ? " 

The  Dutchman  mumbled  over  something,  and, 
pulling  a  book  out  of  his  pocket,  asked  Benjamin 
to  dry  it  for  him,  which  he  promised  to  do.  Soon 
the  poor,  miserable  fellow  was  fast  asleep,  in  spite  of 
the  wet  and  danger,  and  Benjamin  examined  the 
drenched  volume,  which  proved  to  be  Bunyan's  Pil 
grim's  Progress,  in  Dutch,  a  favorite  book  of  his  a 
few  years  before.  It  was  a  very  good  companion  for 
even  a  drunken  Dutchman  to  have ;  but  Benjamin 
could  not  but  think  that  its  contents  were  not  so  fa 
miliar  to  the  unfortunate  possessor  as  the  bottle. 

On  approaching  Long  Island  they  found  that  there 
was  no  place  to  land,  and  the  beach  was  very  stony  ; 
so  "  they  dropped  anchor,  and  swung  out  their  cable 
towards  the  shore."  Some  men  came  down  to  the 
shore  and  hallooed  to  them,  and  they  returned  the 
shout.  Seeing  some  small  boats  lying  along  the 
shore,  they  cried  out  as  loudly  as  possible,  "  A 
boat !  a  boat ! "  and  made  signs  to  them  to  come 
to  their  assistance  ;  but  the  wind  was  so  boisterous 
that  neither  party  .could  understand  the  other. 

After  several  fruitless  attempts  on  both  sides  to 
be  heard,  and  night  coming  on,  the  men  on  the  shore 
went  home,  and  left  Benjamin  and  the  boatmen  to 
their  perils. 


ANOTHER   TRIP   AND  ITS  TRIALS.  149 

"  There  is  only  one  thing  to  be  done,"  said  the 
captain,  "  when  we  get  into  such  a  predicament." 

"  What  is  that  ?  "  asked  Benjamin. 

"To  do  nothing  but  wait  patiently  till  the  wind 
abates,"  answered  the  captain,  rather  coolly. 

"  Then  let  us  turn  in  with  the  Dutchman  to 
sleep,"  said  one  of  the  boatmen.  "  It  is  n't  best 
for  him  to  have  all  the  good  things." 

All  agreed  to  this,  and  soon  they  were  crowded 
into  the  hatches,  Benjamin  among  the  number.  But 
the  spray  broke  over  the  head  of  the  boat  so  much 
that  the  water  leaked  through  upon  them,  until  they 
were  about  as  wet  as  the  Dutchman.  This  was  hard 
fare  for  Benjamin,  who  had  been  accustomed  to  a 
comfortable  bed  and  regular  sleep.  It  was  impossi 
ble  for  him  to  rest  in  such  a  plight,  and  he  had  all 
the  more  time  to  think.  He  thought  of  home,  and 
the  friends  he  had  left  behind,  of  the  comfortable 
quarters  he  had  exchanged  for  his  present  wet  and 
perilous  berth,  and  he  began  to  feel  that  he  had  paid 
too  dear  for  his  whistle.  Runaways  usually  feel  thus 
sooner  or  later,  since  few  of  them  ever  realize  their 
anticipations. 

The  cold,  dreary  night  wore  away  slowly,  and  the 
wind  continued  to  howl,  and  the  breakers  to  dash 
and  roar,  until  after  the  dawn  of  the  following  morn 
ing.  Benjamin  was  never  more  rejoiced  to  see  day 
light  appear  than  he  was  after  that  dismal  and  peril 
ous  night.  It  was  the  more  pleasant  to  him  because 


150  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

the  wind  began  to  abate,  and  there  was  a  fairer  pros 
pect  of  reaching  their  place  of  destination.  As  soon 
as  the  tumult  of  the  wind  and  waves  had  subsided, 
they  weighed  anchor,  and  steered  for  Amboy,  where 
they  arrived  just  before  night,  "  having  been  thirty 
hours  on  the  water  without  victuals,  or  any  drink 
but  a  bottle  of  filthy  rum." 

In  the  evening  Benjamin  found  himself  feverish, 
having  taken  a  severe  cold  by  the  exposure  of  the 
previous  night.  With  a  hot  head  and  a  heavy  heart 
he  retired  to  rest,  first,  however,  drinking  largely  of 
cold  water,  because  he  had  somewhere  read  that  cold 
water  was  good  for  fever.  This  was  one  of  the  ad 
vantages  he  derived  from  his  early  habit  of  reading. 
But  for  his  taste  for  reading,  which  led  him  to  spend 
his  leisure  moments  in  poring  over  books,  he  might 
never  have  known  this  important  fact,  that  perhaps 
saved  him  a  fit  of  sickness.  Availing  himself  of  this 
knowledge,  he  drank  freely  of  water  before  he  re 
tired,  and  the  consequence  was,  that  he  sweat  most 
of  the  night,  and  arose  the  next  morning  compara 
tively  well.  So  much  advantage  from  loving  books  ! 

Boys  never  have  occasion  to  deplore  the  habit  of 
reading,  provided  their  books  are  well  chosen.  They 
usually  find  that  they  are  thrice  paid  for  all  the  time 
spent  in  this  way.  Sooner  or  later  they  begin  to 
reap  the  benefits  of  so  wise  a  course.  A  few  years 
since,  a  young  man  was  travelling  in  the  State  of 
Maine,  procuring  subscribers  to  a  newspaper.  On 


ANOTHER  TRIP   AND  ITS   TRIALS.  151 

passing  a  certain  farm,  lie  observed  some  bricks  of  a 
peculiar  color,  and  he  traced  them  to  their  clay-bed, 
and  satisfied  himself  that  the  material  could  be  ap 
plied  to  a  more  valuable  purpose  than  that  of  making 
bricks.  He  at  once  purchased  the  farm  for  fifteen 
hundred  dollars,  and,  on  his  return  to  Boston,  sold 
one  half  of  it  for  four  thousand  dollars.  The  secret 
of  his  success  lay  in  a  bit  of  knowledge  he  acquired 
at  school.  He  had  given  some  attention  to  geology 
and  chemistry,  and  the  little  knowledge  he  had 
gleaned  therefrom  enabled  him  to  discover  the  na 
ture  of  the  clay  on  said  farm.  Thus  even  a  little 
knowledge,  that  may  be  gleaned  from  a  book  in  a 
single  leisure  half-hour,  will  sometimes  prove  the 
key  to  a  valuable  treasure  ;  much  more  valuable  than 
the  farm  which  the  young  man  purchased.  For  this 
pecuniary  benefit  is,  after  all,  the  least  important 
advantage  derived  from  reading.  The  discipline  of 
the  mind  and  heart,  and  the  refined  and  elevated 
pleasure  which  it  secures,  are  far  more  desirable 
than  any  pecuniary  good  it  bestows.  A  little  read 
ing,  also,  sometimes  gives  an  impulse  to  the  mind  in 
the  direction  of  learning  and  renown.  It  was  the 
reading  of  Echard's  Roman  History,  which  Gibbon 
met  with  while  on  a  visit  to  Wiltshire,  that  opened 
.before  him  the  historic  path  to  distinction. 

Let  the  reader  consider  these  things.  Never  say, 
as  hundreds  of  boys  do,  "  I  hate  books,  and  wish  I 
was  not  obliged  to  go  to  school.  There  is  no  use  in 


152  THE  PKINTER-BOY. 

reading  and  studying  so  much  ;  we  shall  get  along 
just  as  well  without  it."  This  class  of  boys  usually 
have  to  regret,  under  mortifying  circumstances,  in 
later  life,  that  they  wasted  their  early  opportunities 
to  acquire  knowledge.  Sir  Walter  Scott,  in  his  boy 
hood,  joined  in  the  tirade  of  idlers  against  books  ; 
but  in  manhood  he  said :  "  If  it  should  ever  fall  to 
the  lot  of  youth  to  peruse  these  pages,  let  such 
readers  remember  that  it  is  with  the  deepest  regret 
that  I  recollect,  in  my  manhood,  the  opportunities 
of  learning  which  I  neglected  in  my  youth  ;  that 
through  every  part  of  my  literary  career  I  have  felt 
pinched  and  hampered  by  my  own  ignorance  ;  and  I 
would  this  moment  give  half  the  reputation  I  have 
had  the  good  fortune  to  acquire,  if  by  so  doing  I 
could  rest  the  remaining  part  upon  a  sound  founda 
tion  of  learning  and  science." 

But  we  have  lost  sight  of  Benjamin.  We  left 
him  at  the  tavern  in  Amboy,  after  having  passed 
the  night  in  a  cold-water  sweat,  about  ready  for  a 
start  on  his  journey.  Burlington  was  fifty  miles 
from  Amboy,  and  there  was  no  public  conveyance, 
so  that  he  was  obliged  to  go  on  foot,  expecting  to 
find  a  boat  there  bound  for  Philadelphia.  It  was 
raining  hard,  and  yet  he  started  upon  the  journey, 
and  trudged  on  through  the  storm  and  mud,  eager 
to  see  Burlington.  He  was  thoroughly  drenched 
before  he  had  travelled  five  miles,  and,  in  this  con 
dition,  he  walked  on  rapidly  till  noon,  when  he 


ANOTHER  TRIP  AND  ITS  TRIALS.  153 

came  to  a  "  poor  inn,"  and  stopped.  Being  wet 
and  tired,  he  resolved  to  remain  there  until  the 
next  day.  The  innkeeper's  suspicions  were  awak 
ened  by  Benjamin's  appearance,  and  he  questioned 
liim  rather  closely. 

"  Where  are  you  from,  my  lad  ?  " 

"  From  Boston,  sir  ?  " 

"  Hey !  and  away  off  here  so  far  ?  quite  a  young 
ster  for  such  a  trip.  What  's  your  name  ?  " 

"  My  name  is  Benjamin  Franklin,  and  I  am  going 
to  Philadelphia  after  work." 

"  No  work  in  Boston  I  'spose,  hey  ?  How  long 
since  you  left  home  ?  " 

"  About  a  week.  I  did  not  expect  to  go  farther 
than  New  York  when  I  started,  but  I  could  get  no 
work  there." 

"  No  work,  hey  ?  what  sort  of  work  are  you  after 
that  you  find  it  so  scarce  ?  " 

"  I  am  a  printer  by  trade,  and  I  hope  to  get  into 
a  printing-office  in  Philadelphia." 

"  Wall,  you  are  a  pretty  young  one  to  go  so  far ; 
would  hardly  be  willing  that  a  son  of  mine  should 
make  such  a  trip  alone,  printer  or  no  printer." 

Benjamin  saw  that  he  was  suspected  of  being  a 
runaway,  and  he  felt  very  uncomfortable.  He  man 
aged,  however,  to  answer  all  questions  without  sat 
isfying  the  curiosity  of  the  family.  He  ate  and 
slept  there,  and  on  the  following  morning  pro 
ceeded  on  his  journey,  and  by  night  was  within 
7* 


154  THE  PEINTER-BOY. 

eight  or  ten  miles  of  Burlington.  Here  lie  stopped 
at  an  inn  kept  by  one  Dr.  Brown,  "  an  ambulating 
quack  doctor."  He  was  a  very  social  and  observing 
man,  and  soon  discovered  that  Benjamin  was  a 
youth  of  unusual  intelligence  for  one  of  his  age. 
He  conversed  with  him  freely  about  Boston  and 
other  places,  and  gave  a  particular  account  of  some 
foreign  countries  which  he  had  visited.  In  this  way 
he  made  Benjamin's  brief  stay  with  him  very  pleas 
ant,  and  they  became  friends  for  life,  meeting  many 
times  thereafter  on  friendly  terms. 

The  next  morning  he  reluctantly  bade  the  Doctor 
good  by,  and  proceeded  to  Burlington,  where  he  ex 
pected  to  find  a  boat.  In  the  suburbs  of  the  town 
he  bought  some  gingerbread  of  an  old  woman  who 
kept  a  shop,  and  walked  on,  eating  it  as  he  went. 
To  his  great  disappointment,  on  reaching  the  wharf, 
he  found  the  boat  had  gone,  and  there  would  not 
be  another  until  Tuesday.  It  was  now  Saturday, 
and  his  money  would  not  hold  out  if  he  should  get 
boarded  at  a  public  house  till  then.  What  should 
he  do  ?  After  some  reflection,  he  concluded  to  go 
back  to  the  old  lady  of  whom  he  bought  his  ginger 
bread,  as  he  liked  her  appearance  very  well,  and  ask 
her  advice.  So  back  he  went. 

"  Ah  !  back  again  ?  "  said  she,  as  he  entered  her 
shop.  "  Want  more  gingerbread  I  'spose." 

"  No,"  answered  Benjamin.  "  I  was  going  to 
take  the  boat  to  Philadelphia,  but  it  has  gone,  and 
there  is  not  another  to  go  until  Tuesday." 


ANOTHER  TRIP  AND  ITS  TRIALS.  155 

"  Lor  me  !  "  exclaimed  the  kind-hearted  woman  ; 
"  if  that  ain't  too  bad.  What  kin  ye  du  ?  " 

"  That  is  what  I  want  to  ask  you.  Is  there  any 
other  conveyance  to  Philadelphia  ?  " 

"  Lor,  no,  and  all  ye  has  to  dn  is  to  make  the 
best  on't." 

"  And  what  is  that  ?  That  is  just  what  I  want 
to  know,  —  the  best  thing  for  me  to  do  in  such  a 
case." 

"  What  ye  goin'  to  Philadelphy  for  ?  "  inquired 
the  old  lady. 

"  I  am  going  after  work.  I  am  a  printer,  and 
want  to  find  work  in  a  printing-office." 

"A  printer,  lor!"  exclaimed  the  woman, who  had 
probably  never  seen  one  before.  "  Dear  me,  yer 
fortin  is  made  to  set  up  business  in  this  ere  town. 
There  is  nothin'  of  the  like  here." 

"  I  have  nothing  to  set  up  the  business  with 
here,"  replied  Benjamin.  "  I  would  as  lief  work 
here  as  in  Philadelphia,  if  the  way  was  open." 

The  woman  did  not  know  what  was  necessary  in 
setting  up  a  printing  establishment.  That  types  and 
a  press  were  indispensable  articles  in  such  busi 
ness  she  did  not  dream.  She  thought,  doubtless, 
that  he  carried  all  necessary  fixtures  with  him,  in 
his  pockets. 

"  Lor,  then,  I  '11  lodge  ye  till  Tuesday  for  -  -  " 
(naming  the  sum). 

"  I  will  stay  with  you,  then,  and  make  the  best 
of  it,"  he  replied. 


156  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

He  found  himself  in  very  good  quarters,  and  Ms 
host  proved  herself  to  be  very  kind  and  hospitable. 
He  took  dinner  with  her,  and  remained  about  the 
shop  until  towards  night,  when  he  walked  forth  to 
view  the  place.  In  his  walk  he  came  round  to  the 
river,  and  as  he  approached  it,  he  discovered  a  boat 
with  several  people  in  it,  and  he  hailed  them. 

"  Whither  bound  ?  " 

"  To  Philadelphia." 

"  Can  you  take  me  in?  I  was  too  late  for  the  boat 
to-day." 

"  As  well  as  not,"  a  voice  replied  ;  and  the  boat 
was  turned  to  receive  its  additional  passenger. 
There  was  no  wind,  so  that  they  were  obliged  to 
depend  on  rowing  for  progress.  Benjamin  now 
found  a  rare  opportunity  to  exercise  the  skill  at 
rowing  which  he  cultivated  in  Boston.  He  was  so 
elated  with  the  prospect  of  proceeding  on  his  way 
to  Philadelphia,  that  he  thought  neither  of  the  fa 
tigue  of  rowing,  nor  of  the  wonder  of  the  old  lady 
in  the  shop  at  the  unexpected  disappearance  of  her 
boarder.  He  did  not  mean  to  treat  her  disrespect 
fully,  for  he  considered  her  a  very  clever  woman, 
but  the  boat  could  not  wait  for  him  to  return  and 
pay  her  his  compliments.  Whether  she  ever 
learned  what  became  of  him,  or  that  he  grew  up 
to  be  Dr.  Franklin,  the  great  philosopher,  we  have 
no  means  of  knowing.  Doubtless  she  concluded 
that  she  had  not  entertained  an  "  angel  unawares," 


ANOTHER  TRIP  AND  ITS  TRIALS.  157 

but  had  rather  aided  an  undeserving  fellow  in  pur 
suing  a  vicious  course,  —  which  was  not  true. 

The  boat  went  on.  Benjamin  rowed  with  strong 
resolution,  taking  his  turn  with  others,  until  mid 
night,  when  one  of  the  company  said :  "  We  must 
have  passed  the  city.  It  can't  be  that  we  have  been 
so  long  getting  to  it." 

"  That  is  impossible,"  said  another.  "  We  must 
have  seen  it,  if  we  had  passed  it." 

"  Well,  I  shall  row  no  more,"  added  the  first 
speaker.  "  I  know  that  Philadelphia  is  not  so  far 
off  as  this." 

"  Let  us  put  for  the  shore,"  said  a  third  person, 
"  and  find  out  where  we  are,  if  possible." 

"  Agreed,"  replied  several  voices  ;  and  so  saying 
they  rowed  toward  the  shore,  and  entered  a  small 
creek,  where  they  landed  near  an  old  fence,  the 
rails  of  which  furnished  them  with  fuel  for  a  fire. 
They  were  very  chilly,  it  being  a  frosty  night  of 
October,  and  they  found  the  fire  very  grateful. 
They  remained  there  till  daylight,  when  one  of  the 
company  knew  that  the  place  was  "  Cooper's 
Creek,"  a  few  miles  above  the  "  City  of  Brotherly 
Love."  Immediately  they  made  preparations  to 
continue  their  journey,  which  had  not  been  alto 
gether  unpleasant,  and  they  were  soon  in  full  view 
of  the  city,  where  they  arrived  between  eight  and 
nine  o'clock  on  Sunday  morning.  They  landed 
at  Market  Street  Wharf.  Taking  out  his  money, 


158  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

which  consisted  of  one  unbroken  dollar,  and  "  a 
shilling  in  copper  coin,  he  offered  the  latter  to  the 
boatmen  for  his  passage." 

"Not  a  cent,  my  good  fellow,"  said  one  of  them, 
"  you  worked  your  passage,  and  did  it  well,  too." 

"  But  you  must  take  it,"  responded  Benjamin. 
"  You  are  quite  welcome  to  all  the  rowing  I  have 
done.  I  am  glad  enough  to  get  here  by  rowing  and 
paying  my  passage  too.  But  for  your  coming  along 
to  take  me  in,  I  should  have  been  obliged  to  stay 
in  Burlington  until  next  Tuesday ; "  and  he  fairly 
forced  the  shilling  into  their  hands.  This  is  an  act 
of  generosity,  for  which  Benjamin  was  always  dis 
tinguished.  He  was  no  mean,  niggardly  fellow,  not 
he.  Although  he  was  in  a  stranger  city,  and  had 
but  a  single  dollar  left  on  which  to  live  until  he 
could  earn  something  by  daily  toil,  yet  he  cheerfully 
gave  the  change  for  his  passage.  He  felt  grateful  to 
them  for  taking  him  in,  and  he  would  give  expres 
sion  to  his  gratitude  in  this  generous  way.  It  was 
noble,  too,  in  the  boatmen  to  refuse  to  take  the 
shilling.  It  was  only  by  his  insisting  upon  their 
receiving  it,  that  they  consented  to  take  it.  A  kind- 
hearted,  generous  set  of  fellows  were  in  that  boat, 
and  Benjamin  was  not  inferior  to  one  of  them  in 
that  respect.  Bidding  them  good  morning,  he  walk 
ed  up  Market  Street,  where  he  met  a  boy  eating 
some  bread. 

"  Where  did  you  get  your  bread,  boy  ?  "  he  in 
quired. 


ANOTHER   TKIP   AND  ITS  TRIALS.  159 

"  Over  to  the  baker's,  there,"  he  replied,  pointing 
to  a  shop  that  was  near  by. 

Benjamin  was  very  tired  and  hungry,  having  eaten 
nothing  since  he  dined  with  the  old  shop-woman  in 
Burlington,  on  the  day  before  ;  and,  for  this  reason, 
the  boy's  bread  was  very  tempting.  Besides,  he  had 
made  many  a  meal  of  dry  bread  when  he  boarded 
himself  in  Boston  ;  and  now  it  was  not  hard  at  all 
for  him  to  breakfast  on  unbuttered  bread,  minus 
both  tea  and  coffee.  He  hastened  to  the  bakery, 
and  found  it  open. 

"  Have  you  biscuit  ?  "  he  inquired,  meaning  such 
as  he  was  accustomed  to  eat  in  Boston. 

"  We  make  nothing  of  the  kind,"  answered  the 
proprietor. 

"  You  may  give  me  a  three-penny  loaf,  then." 

"  We  have  none." 

Benjamin  began  to  think  that  he  should  have  to 
go  hungry  still,  since  he  did  not  know  the  names 
or  prices  of  the  kinds  of  bread  made  in  Philadel 
phia.  But  in  a  moment  he  recovered  himself,  and 
said  :  "  Then  give  me  three-pennyworth  of  any  sort." 

To  his  surprise,  the  baker  gave  him  three  great 
puffy  rolls,  enough  to  satisfy  half  a  dozen  hungry 
persons.  He  looked  at  it,  scarcely  knowing  at  first 
what  he  could  do  with  so  much,  but,  as  "  necessity 
is  the  mother  of  invention,"  he  soon  discovered 
a  way  of  disposing  of  it.  He  put  a  roll  under 
each  arm,  and  taking  the  third  in  his  hand  he 


160  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

proceeded  to  eat  it,  as  he  continued  his  way  up 
Market  Street. 

Let  the  reader  stop  here,  and  take  a  view  of  Ben 
jamin  Franklin,  the  runaway  youth,  as  he  made  his 
first  appearance  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia.  See 
him  trudging  up  Market  Street  with  his  worn, 
dirty  clothes,  (his  best  suit  having  been  sent  around 
by  sea,)  his  pockets  stuffed  out  with  shirts  and 
stockings,  and  a  "  puffy  roll"  under  each  arm,  and 
a  third  in  his  hand  of  which  he  is  eating !  A  com 
ical  appearance  certainly !  It  is  not  very  probable 
that  this  runaway  Benjamin  will  ever  become  "  Min 
ister  Plenipotentiary  to  the  Court  of  France,"  or 
surprise  the  world  by  his  philosophical  discoveries ! 
There  is  much  more  probability  that  he  will  live  in 
some  obscure  printing-office,  and  die  "  unknown, 
unhonored,  and  unsung."  Who  wonders  that  a 
young  lady,  Miss  Read,  who  was  standing  in  the 
door  of  her  father's  residence  as  Benjamin  passed, 
thought  he  made  a  very  awkward  and  ridiculous 
appearance  ?  She  little  thought  that  she  was  tak 
ing  a  bird's-eye  view  of  her  future  husband,  as  the 
youth  with  the  rolls  of  bread  under  his  arm  proved 
to  be.  But  just  then  he  cared  more  for  bread  than 
he  did  for  her ;  some  years  after,  the  case  was  re 
versed,  and  he  cared  more  for  her  than  he  did  for 
bread. 

Turning  down  Chestnut  Street  he  continued  to 
walk  until  he  came  round  to  the  wharf  where  he 


ANOTHER  TRIP   AND  ITS  TRIALS.  161 

landed.  Being  thirsty,  he  went  to  the  boat  for 
water,  where  he  found  the  woman  and  child  who 
came  down  the  river  with  them  on  the  previous 
night,  waiting  to  go  further. 

"  Are  you  hungry  ?  "  he  inquired  of  the  child, 
who  looked  wistfully  at  his  bread. 

"  We  are  both  very  hungry,"  answered  the  wo 
man,  speaking  for  herself  and  child. 

"I  have  satisfied  my  hunger,"  said  Benjamin, 
"  and  you  may  have  the  rest  of  my  bread  if  you 
would  like  it,"  at  the  same  time  passing  both  rolls 
to  her. 

"  You  are  very  kind  indeed,"  responded  the  wo 
man.  "I  thank  you  many  times  for  it;"  -all  of 
which  was  as  good  pay  for  the  bread  as  Benjamin 
wanted.  This  was  another  instance  of  his  generos 
ity,  for  which  he  was  highly  distinguished  through 
his  whole  life.  An  American  statesman  said  of  him, 
in  a  eulogy  delivered  in  Boston :  "  No  form  of  per 
sonal  suffering  or  social  evil  escaped  his  attention, 
or  appealed  in  vain  for  such  relief  or  remedy  as  his 
prudence  could  suggest,  or  his  purse  supply.  From 
that  day  of  his  early  youth,  when,  a  wanderer  from 
his  home  and  friends  in  a  strange  place,  he  was  seen 
sharing  his  rolls  with  a  poor  woman  and  child,  to 
the  last  act  of  his  public  life,  when  he  signed  that 
well  known  memorial  to  Congress,  a  spirit  of  ear 
nest  and  practical  benevolence  runs  like  a  golden 
thread  along  his  whole  career." 

K 


162  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

He  then  walked  up  the  street  again,  and  found 
well-dressed  people  going  to  church.  Joining  in 
the  current,  notwithstanding  his  appearance,  he 
went  with  them  into  the  large  Quaker  meeting 
house  that  stood  near  the  market.  He  took  his 
seat,  and  waited  for  the  services  to  begin,  either  not 
knowing  what  Quakers  did  at  meeting,  or  else  being 
ignorant  that  he  was  among  this  sect.  As  nothing 
was  said,  and  he  was  weary  and  exhausted  with  the 
labors  and  watchings  of  the  previous  night,  he  be 
came  drowsy,  and  soon  dropped  into  a  sweet  sleep. 
His  nap  might  have  proved  a  very  unfortunate  event 
for  him,  but  for  the  kindness  of  a  wide-awake  Qua 
ker.  For  he  did  not  wake  up  when  the  meeting 
closed,  and  the  congregation  might  have  dispersed, 
and  the  sexton  locked  him  in,  without  disturbing 
his  slumbers.  But  the  kind-hearted  Quaker  moved 
his  spirit  by  giving  him  a  gentle  rap  on  the  shoul 
der.  He  started  up,  somewhat  surprised  that  the 
service  was  over,  and  passed  out  with  the  crowd. 
Soon  after,  meeting  a  fine-looking  young  Quaker, 
who  carried  his  heart  in  his  face,  Benjamin  in 
quired,  "  Can  you  tell  me  where  a  stranger  can  get 
a  night's  lodging  ?  " 

"  Here,"  answered  the  Quaker,  "  is  a  house  where 
they  receive  strangers,"  (pointing  to  the  sign  of  the 
Three  Mariners  near  which  they  stood,)  "  but  it  is 
not  a  reputable  one ;  if  thee  will  walk  with  me  I 
will  show  thee  a  better  one." 


ANOTHER   TRIP   AND  ITS  TRIALS.  163 

"I  will  be  obliged  to  you  for  doing  so,"  an 
swered  Benjamin.  "  I  was  never  in  Philadelphia 
before,  and  am  not  acquainted  with  one  person 
here." 

The  Quaker  conducted  him  to  "Water  Street,  and 
showed  him  the  Crooked  Billet,  —  a  house  where 
he  might  be  accommodated.  Benjamin  thanked 
him  for  his  kindness,  entered  the  house,  and  called 
for  dinner  and  a  room.  While  sitting  at  the  dinner- 
table,  his  host  asked,  "  Where  are  you  from  ?  " 

"  I  am  from  Boston  ?  " 

"  Boston  !  "  exclaimed  the  host,  with  some  sur 
prise.  "  How  long  since  you  left  home  ?  " 

This  question  being  answered,  he  continued, 
"  Have  you  friends  in  Philadelphia  ?  " 

"None  at  all.  I  do  not  know  a  single  person 
here." 

"  What  did  you  come  here  for  ?  " 

"  I  came  to  get  work  in  a  printing-office.  I  am 
a  printer  by  trade." 

"  How  old  are  you  ?  " 

"  I  am  seventeen  years  old,  sir,"  replied  Benja 
min,  just  beginning  to  perceive  that  the  man  sus 
pected  him  of  being  a  runaway. 

"  And  came  all  the  way  from  Boston  alone  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir  !  " 

Benjamin  closed  the  conversation  as  soon  as  he 
could  conveniently,  after  perceiving  that  his  appear 
ance  had  excited  suspicions,  and  went  to  his  room, 


164  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

where  he  lay  down  and  slept  till  six  o'clock  in 
the  evening,  when  he  was  called  to  supper.  He 
went  to  bed  again  very  early,  and  was  soon  locked 
in  the  embrace  of  "  nature's  sweet  restorer,  balmy 
sleep." 


A 


XYII. 

GETTING  WOEK, 

•FTER  a  good  night's  sleep,  Benjamin  arose 
and  dressed  himself  as  neatly  as  he  could 
with  his  old  clothes,  and  repaired  to  Andrew  Brad 
ford's  printing-office. 

"  Ah !  then  you  have  arrived,"  said  an  old  gen 
tleman,  rising  to  salute  him  as  he  entered.  "I 
reached  here  first." 

"  0,  it  is  Mr.  Bradford  !  "  exclaimed  Benjamin, 
surprised  at  meeting  the  old  printer  whom  he  saw 
in  New  York,  and  who  directed  him  to  his  son, 
Andrew  Bradford,  of  Philadelphia.  "I  did  not 
expect  to  meet  you  here." 

"  I  suppose  not.  I  started  off  unexpectedly,  and 
came  all  the  way  on  horseback.  But  I  am  glad 
that  you  have  reached  here  safely.  This  is  a 
young  man  from  Boston,"  (addressing  his  son  and 
introducing  Benjamin,)  "  after  work  in  a  printing- 
office,  and  I  directed  him  to  you.  Franklin  is  your 
name,  I  believe." 

"  Yes,  sir  !  Benjamin  Franklin." 

Mr.  Bradford  received  him  very  cordially,  and 


166  THE  PKINTEK-BOY. 

being  about  to  eat  breakfast,  he  said  :  "  Come,  it  is 
my  breakfast  hour,  and  you  shall  be  welcome  to 
the  table.  We  can  talk  this  matter  over  at  the 
table  ;"  —  and  Benjamin  accepted  the  invitation. 

"  I  told  this  young  man,"  said  the  old  printer 
from  New  York,  "  that  one  of  your  men  died  a 
short  time  since,  and  you  would  want  a  printer  to 
take  his  place." 

"  That  is  true,"  replied  Mr.  Andrew  Bradford. 
"  I  did  want  another  hand  to  take  his  place,  but  I 
hired  one  only  a  few  days  since.  I  am  sorry  to  dis 
appoint  this  youth  who  has  come  so  far  for  work." 

"  Is  there  another  printing-office  here  ?  "  asked 
Benjamin. 

"  Yes ;  a  man  by  the  name  of  Keimer  has  just 
commenced  the  business,  and  I  think  he  would  be 
glad  to  employ  you." 

"  I  must  get  work  somewhere,"  added  Benjamin, 
"for  I  have  spent  nearly  all  my  money  in  getting 
here." 

"If  he  will  not  employ  you,"  added  Mr.  Brad 
ford,  kindly,  "  you  may  lodge  at  my  house,  and  I 
will  give  you  a  little  work  from  time  to  time  until 
business  is  better." 

"That  will  be  a  great  favor  to  me,"  answered 
Benjamin,  "  for  which  I  shall  be  very  thankful ; " 
and  he  really  felt  more  grateful  to  Mr.  Bradford  for 
the  offer  than  his  words  indicated. 

"  I  will  go  with  you  to  see  Mr.  Keimer,"  said  old 


GETTING  WORK.  167 

Mr.  Bradford  from  New  York.  "  Perhaps  I  can  be 
of  some  service  to  you  in  securing  a  place." 

Benjamin  began  to  think  he  had  fallen  into  very 
obliging  hands;  so  he  followed  their  advice,  and 
went  with  his  aged  friend  to  see  the  newly  estab 
lished  printer.  On  arriving  at  the  office,  they  met 
Mr.  Keimer,  and  old  Mr.  Bradford  introduced  their 
business  by  saying :  "  Neighbor,  I  have  brought  to 
see  you  a  young  man  of  your  business ;  perhaps  you 
may  want  such  a  one." 

"  That  depends  on  his  qualifications,"  answered 
Mr.  Keimer.  "  How  long  have  you  worked  at  the 
business  ?  "  he  inquired,  turning  to  Benjamin. 

"  Several  years,  sir." 

"Do  you  understand  all  parts  of  it  so  that  you 
can  go  on  with  it  ? " 

"  I  think  I  do  ;  you  can  try  me  and  satisfy  your 
self." 

"Take  this  composing-stick,  and  let  me  see 
whether  you  are  competent  or  not,"  said  Keimer. 

Benjamin  proceeded  to  exhibit  his  skill  at  the 
work,  and  very  soon  satisfied  Keimer  that  he  had 
told  the  truth. 

"  Very  well  done,"  said  Keimer.  "  I  will  employ 
you  as  soon  as  I  have  sufficient  work  to  warrant 
such  a  step.  At  present  I  have  nothing  for  you 
to  do." 

Here  Benjamin  saw  the  advantage  of  having 
attended  to  his  business  closely,  so  as  to  learn  thor- 


168  THE  PEENTEK-BOY. 

oughly  the  work  lie  was  to  do.  Some  boys  perform 
their  work  in  just  a  passable  way,  not  caring  partic 
ularly  whether  it  is  well  done,  if  they  can  only 
"pass  muster."  But  not  so  with  Benjamin.  He 
sought  to  understand  the  business  to  which  he 
attended,  and  to  do  as  well  as  possible  the  work  he 
undertook.  The  consequence  was  that  he  was  a 
thorough  workman,  and  in  five  minutes  he  was 
able  to  satisfy  Keimer  of  the  fact.  This  was  greatly 
in  his  favor ;  and  such  a  young  man  is  never  long 
out  of  business. 

Turning  to  Bradford,  Keimer  said,  supposing  him 
to  be  a  Philadelphia!!  who  wished  him  well  in  his 
new  enterprise :  "  What  do  you  think  of  my  pros 
pects  here,  sir?  Do  you  think  I  shall  succeed  in 
my  business  ?  " 

"  That  will  depend  upon  your  own  exertions  and 
business  talents,"  was  Bradford's  reply. 

"  I  shall  do  all  in  my  power  to  draw  the  business 
of  the  town,"  added  Keimer ;  "  and  I  think  I  can 
do  it." 

"  But  how  can  you  expect  to  get  all  the  business 
when  there  is  another  printer  here,  who  has  been 
established  some  time  ?  " 

Keimer  answered  this  last  inquiry  by  disclosing 
his  plans,  as  Bradford  artfully  drew  him  out  on 
every  point,  until  he  learned  how  he  was  calculat 
ing  to  command  all  the  business,  and  run  his  son 
out.  Nor  did  Keimer  dream  that  he  was  convers- 


GETTING  WOKK.  169 

ing  with  the  father  of  the  other  printer  whom  he 
designed  to  deprive  of  his  livelihood.  All  the  while 
Benjamin  stood  and  listened  to  their  conversation, 
perceiving  that  Mr.  Bradford  was  shrewdly  learning 
Keimer's  plans  for  his  son's  benefit. 

"  Did  you  not  know  that  man  ?  "  inquired  Benja 
min,  after  Bradford  left,  leaving  him  in  the  office. 

"  No  ;  but  I  concluded  that  he  was  one  of  the 
town's  people  who  wished  me  well  in  my  business, 
and  therefore  came  in  to  introduce  you." 

"It  is  not  so,"  replied  Benjamin.  "That  was 
the  father  of  Andrew  Bradford,  your  neighbor,  the 
printer.  He  carries  on  printing  in  New  York." 

"  It  can't  be  !  "  exclaimed  Keimer,  astonished  at 
this  bit  of  news,  and  startled  at  the  thought  of  hav 
ing  made  known  his  plans  to  a  competitor. 

"  It  can  be,"  replied  Benjamin.  "He  is  certainly 
Bradford,  the  New  York  printer,  and  father  of  An 
drew  Bradford,  the  printer  of  this  town." 

"  How  happened  it  that  he  should  come  here  with 
you  ?  " 

"  I  can  tell  you  in  few  words,"  said  Benjamin ; 
and  he  went  on  and  told  him  of  his  going  to  New 
York,  and  how  he  happened  to  come  to  Philadel 
phia  and  meet  Mr.  Bradford  there,  and  finally  how 
he  found  his  way  to  Keimer's  office. 

"  It  will  learn  me  a  good  lesson,"  said  Keimer. 
"  When  I  divulge  secrets  to  another  man  whom  I 
don't  know,  I  shall  not  be  in  my  right  mind." 

8 


170  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

Benjamin  spent  a  short  time  in  looking  over 
Koimer's  office,  and  found  that  his  press  was  old 
and  damaged,  and  his  fount  of  English  types  nearly 
worn  out.  Possessing  much  more  ingenuity  than 
Keimer,  and  understanding  a  printing-press  much 
better,  he  went  to  work,  and  in  a  short  time  put  it 
into  decent  order  for  service.  Keimer  was  compos 
ing  an  Elegy  on  Aquila  Rose,  an  excellent  young 
man  who  worked  for  Bradford,  and  who  had  recent 
ly  died  ;  and  he  agreed  to  send  for  Benjamin  to 
print  it  off  when  it  was  ready.  With  this  arrange 
ment,  Benjamin  returned  to  Mr.  Bradford  to  eat 
and  lodge.  A  few  days  after  he  received  a  message 
from  Keimer,  that  the  Elegy  was  ready  to  be  print 
ed.  From  that  time  Keimer  provided  him  with 
work. 

"  You  must  have  another  boarding-place,"  said 
Keimer  to  him  one  day.  Benjamin  was  still  board 
ing  at  Bradford's,  and  this  was  not  agreeable  to 
Keimer. 

"  Just  as  you  please,"  answered  Benjamin ;  "  I 
am  satisfied  to  board  there  or  go  elsewhere." 

"  I  can  get  you  boarded  with  an  acquaintance  of 
mine,  I  think,  where  you  will  find  it  very  pleasant. 
I  am  confident  that  you  will  like  better  there  than 
at  Mr.  Bradford's. 

"  I  will  go  there,  if  you  think  it  is  best,"  added 
Benjamin.  "  My  chest  has  arrived,  and  I  can  look 
a  little  more  respectable  now  than  I  could  before." 


GETTING  WOKK.  171 

The  result  was,  that  he  went  to  board  at  Mr. 
Read's,  the  father  of  the  young  lady  who  stood  in 
the  door  when  he  passed  on  the  aforesaid  Sunday 
morning  with  a  roll  of  bread  under  each  arm.  His 
appearance  was  much  improved  by  this  time,  so  that 
even  Miss  Read  saw  that  he  was  an  intelligent, 
promising  young  man. 

We  learn  one  or  two  things  about  Benjamin  from 
the  foregoing,  which  the  reader  may  ponder  with 
benefit  to  himself.  In  the  first  place,  he  must  have 
been  very  observing.  He  understood  the  construc 
tion  of  a  printing-press  so  well,  that  lie  could  put  an 
old  one  into  running  order,  youth  as  he  was,  when 
its  proprietor  was  unable  to  do  it.  This  is  more  re 
markable,  because  he  was  not  obliged  to  study  the 
mechanism  of  a  printing-press  in  order  to  work  it. 
Doubtless  many  a  person  operates  this  and  other 
machines,  without  giving  any  particular  attention  to 
their  structure.  But  a  class  of  minds  are  never 
satisfied  until  they  understand  whatever  commands 
their  attention.  They  are  inquisitive  to  learn  the 
philosophy  of  things.  It  was  so  with  Benjamin, 
and  this  characteristic  proved  a  valuable  element  of 
his  success.  It  was  the  secret  of  his  inventions  and 
discoveries  thereafter.  It  was  so  with  Stephenson, 
of  whom  we  have  spoken  before.  As  soon  as  he 
was  appointed  plugman  of  an  engine,  at  seventeen 
years  of  age,  he  began  to  study  its  construction. 
In  his  leisure  hours,  he  took  it  to  pieces  and  put  it 


172  THE  PRINTEK-BOY. 

together  again  several  times,  in  order  to  understand 
it.  So  of  William  Hutton,  whose  name  is  mentioned 
in  another  place.  Encouraged  by  a  couplet  which 
he  read  in  Dyce's  Spelling-book,  — 

"  Despair  of  nothing  that  you  would  attain, 
Unwearied  diligence  your  end  will  gain," 

he  sought  to  master  everything  that  he  undertook. 
One  day  he  borrowed  a  dulcimer,  and  made  one  by 
it.  With  no  other  tools  than  the  hammer-key  and 
pliers  of  the  stocking  frame  for  hammer  and  pincers, 
his  pocket-knife,  and  a  one-pronged  fork  that  served 
as  spring,  awl,  and  gimlet,  he  made  a  capital  dul 
cimer,  which  he  sold  for  sixteen  shillings.  Here 
were  both  observation  and  perseverance,  though  not 
more  finely  developed  than  they  were  in  the  charac 
ter  of  young  Benjamin  Franklin. 

Another  important  truth  is  learned  from  the  fore 
going,  namely,  that  Benjamin  was  not  proud.  A 
sight  of  him  passing  up  Market  Street,  with  three 
large  rolls  of  bread,  is  proof  of  this  ;  or  his  appear 
ance  in  the  street  and  Quaker  church  in  his  every 
day  garb,  because  his  best  suit  was  "  coming  round 
by  sea,"  is  equally  significant.  How  many  boys  of 
his  age  would  have  stayed  away  from  meeting  until 
the  "  best  clothes  "  arrived  !  How  many  would  seek 
for  some  concealment  of  their  poverty,  if  possible, 
in  similar  circumstances !  But  these  were  small 
matters  to  Benjamin,  in  comparison  with  finding 


GETTING  WORK.  173 

employment  and  earning  a  livelihood.  He  had  a  des 
tiny  to  work  out,  and  in  working  that  he  must  do 
as  he  could,  and  not  always  as  he  would.  He  cared 
not  for  the  laughs  and  jeers  of  those  who  could 
dress  better  and  live  more  sumptuously  than  him 
self,  since  it  was  absolutely  necessary  for  him  to 
dress  as  he  did,  in  order  "  to  make  his  ends  meet." 
He  might  have  followed  the  example  of  some  young 
men,  and  run  into  debt,  in  order  to  "  cut  a  dash  ; " 
but  he  believed  then,  as  he  wrote  afterwards,  that 
"  lying  rides  on  debt's  back,"  and  that  it  is  "  better 
to  go  to  bed  supperless  than  rise  in  debt ,  "  or,  as  he 
expressed  himself  in  other  maxims,  "  Those  have  a 
short  Lent  who  owe  money  to  be  paid  at  Easter," 
and,  "It  is  easier  to  build  two  chimneys  than  to 
keep  one  in  fuel." 


XVIII. 

NEWS   FKOM   HOME,  AND  EETUKN. 

HITHERTO  BENJAMIN  had  lived  contentedly 
in  Philadelphia,  striving  to  forget  Boston  and 
old  familiar  scenes  as  much  as  possible.  No  one  at 
home  knew  of  his  whereabouts,  except  his  old  friend 
Collins,  who  kept  the  secret  well.  One  day,  how 
ever,  a  letter  came  to  his  address,  and  the  super 
scription  looked  so  familiar  that  Benjamin's  hand 
fairly  trembled  as  he  broke  the  seal.  It  proved  to 
be  from  his  brother-in-law,  Robert  Homes,  "  master 
of  a  sloop  that  traded  between  Boston  and  Dela 
ware."  He  came  to  Newcastle,  it  seems,  about 
forty  miles  from  Philadelphia,  and,  hearing  of  Ben 
jamin's  place  of  residence,  he  sat  down  and  wrote 
him  a  letter,  telling  him  of  the  deep  sorrow  into 
which  his  departure  had  plunged  his  parents,  who 
still  were  wholly  ignorant  of  his  fate,  and  exhort 
ing  him  to  return  home  to  his  friends,  who  would 
welcome  him  kindly.  The  letter  was  a  strong  ap 
peal  to  his  feelings. 

Benjamin   sat   down   and   replied  to   the  letter, 
stating  his  reasons  in  full  for  leaving  Boston,  giv- 


NEWS  FROM  HOME,  AND  RETURN.  175 

ing  an  account  of  his  present  circumstances  and 
prospects,  and  closing  by  expressing  kind  feelings 
for  all  the  loved  ones  at  home,  but  declining  to 
return. 

Not  many  days  after  Benjamin  wrote  and  sent  his 
letter,  an  unusual  scene  transpired  at  the  office. 
He  was  at  work  near  the  window,  when,  on  looking 
out,  he  saw  Governor  Keith  approaching. 

"  The  Governor  is  coming  in,"  said  he  to  Keimer. 

Keimer  looked  out  of  the  window,  and  saw  that 
it  was  so,  whereupon  he  hurried  down  to  the  door, 
not  a  little  excited  by  the  thought  of  waiting  upon 
the  Governor,  supposing,  of  course,  that  he  was 
coming  in  to  see  him. 

"  Does  Benjamin  Franklin  work  for  you  ?  "  in 
quired  the  Governor. 

"He  does,"  answered  Keimer,  both  astonished 
and  perplexed  by  the  inquiry.  What  he  could 
want  of  him  he  could  not  imagine. 

"Can  I  see  him?"  asked  the  Governor. 

"  Certainly  ;  walk  in."  The  Governor,  and  Colo 
nel  French,  who  was  with  him,  were  ushered  into 
the  presence  of  Benjamin. 

"  I  am  happy  to  make  the  acquaintance  of  a  young 
man  of  your  abilities,"  he  said  to  him.  "  I  regret 
that  you  did  not  report  yourself  to  me  long  ago." 

Benjamin  was  too  much  astonished  at  the  unex 
pected  interview  to  be  able  to  reply ;  and  the  Gov 
ernor  went  on  to  say,  that  "  he  called  to  invite  him 


176  THE    PRINTER-BOY. 

to  ari  interview  at  the  tavern."  Benjamin  was  more 
perplexed  than  ever,  and  Keimer  stared  with  amaze 
ment.  But  after  some  hesitation,  arising  from  sud 
den  surprise,  Benjamin  consented  to  go  with  the 
Governor,  and  was  soon  seated  with  him  and  Colo 
nel  French  in  a  room  of  the  tavern  at  the  corner 
of  Third  Street. 

"  I  called  to  see  you,"  said  the  Governor,  "  re 
specting  the  printing  business  in  this  town.  I 
understand  that  you  are  well  acquainted  with  it, 
in  all  its  branches,  and,  from  my  knowledge  of  your 
abilities,  I  think  you  would  succeed  admirably  in 
setting  up  the  business  for  yourself.  Our  printers 
here  are  ignorant  and  inefficient,  and  we  must  have 
more  competent  men  to  do  the  government  work." 

How  the  Governor  knew  so  much  about  his  qual 
ifications  for  the  business,  Benjamin  could  not 
divine.  He  replied,  however :  "  I  have  nothing  to 
commence  business  with,  and  it  will  require  some 
capital.  My  father  might  assist  me  if  he  were  dis 
posed  ;  but  I  have  no  reason  to  think  that  he 
would." 

"  I  will  write  to  him  upon  the  subject,"  said  the 
Governor,  "  and  perhaps  he  may  be  persuaded.  I 
can  show  him  the  advantages  of  such  an  enterprise 
to  yourself  and  the  public,  so  that  he  cannot  doubt 
the  practicability  of  the  thing." 

"  There  are  two  printers  here  already,"  contin 
ued  Benjamin ;  "  and  a  third  one  would  hardly  be 
supported." 


NEWS  FROM  HOME,   AND  RETURN.  177 

"A  third  one,  who  understands  the  business  as 
you  do,"  responded  the  Governor,  "would  com 
mand  the  chief  business  of  the  town  in  a  short 
time.  I  will  pledge  you  all  the  public  printing  of 
the  government." 

"  And  I  will  pledge  the  same  for  the  government 
of  Delaware,"  said  Colonel  French,  of  Newcastle. 

"  There  can  be  no  doubt  on  this  point,"  contin 
ued  Governor  Keith.  "  You  had  better  decide  to 
return  to  Boston  by  the  first  vessel,  and  take  a  let 
ter  from  me  to  your  father." 

"  I  will  so  decide  at  once,  if  such  is  your  judg 
ment  in  the  matter,"  replied  Benjamin. 

"  Then  it  is  understood,"  added  his  Excellency, 
"that  you  will  repair  to  Boston  in  the  first  vessel 
that  sails.  In  the  mean  time,  you  must  continue  to 
work  for  Mr.  Keirner,  keeping  the  object  of  this  in 
terview  a  profound  secret." 

Having  made  this  arrangement,  they  separated, 
and  Benjamin  returned  to  the  printing-office, 
scarcely  knowing  how  he  should  evade  the  antici 
pated  inquisitiveness  of  Keimer  respecting  the  in 
terview  ;  but  he  succeeded  in  keeping  the  secret. 
His  mind,  however,  labored  much  upon  the  ques 
tion,  how  Governor  Keith  should  know  anything 
about  him,  a  poor,  obscure  printer-boy.  It  was  not 
until  he  returned  to  Boston  that  this  mystery  was 
solved.  Then  he  learned  that  Keith  was  present 
at  Newcastle  when  his  brother-in-law  received  his 
8*  L 


178  THE  PKINTEK-BOY. 

(Benjamin's)  letter,  and  Captain  Homes  read  it 
aloud  to  him. 

"  How  old  is  he  ?  "  asked  the  Governor. 

"  Seventeen,"  replied  Captain  Homes. 

"  Only  seventeen !  I  am  surprised  that  a  youth 
of  that  age  should  write  so  well.  He  must  be  an 
uncommon  boy." 

Captain  Homes  assured  him  that  he  was  a  very 
competent  youth,  and  possessed  abilities  that  quali 
fied  him  for  almost  any  place.  Here  was  the  secret 
of  Keith's  interest  in  the  printer-boy,  but  of  which 
the  latter  knew  nothing  until  he  met  his  brother-in- 
law  in  Boston. 

Before  an  opportunity  offered  for  Benjamin  to  go 
to  Boston,  Governor  Keith  frequently  sent  for  him 
to  dine  with  him,  on  which  occasions  he  conversed 
with  him  in  a  very  friendly  and  familiar  way.  It 
was  quite  unusual  for  a  boy  of  seventeen  years  to 
become  the  frequent  guest  of  a  Governor,  and  no 
wonder  he  was  almost  bewildered  by  the  unexpected 
attention.  Some  would  have  become  vain  and 
proud  in  consequence  of  such  attentions ;  but  Ben 
jamin  bore  the  honors  meekly. 

About  the  last  of  April,  1724,  a  small  vessel  of 
fered  for  Boston.  Benjamin  made  arrangements 
to  go,  took  leave  of  Keimer  as  if  going  to  visit 
his  friends,  and,  with  Keith's  letter  to  his  father, 
sailed.  The  vessel  had  a  boisterous  time  at  sea,  but 
after  a  fortnight's  voyage  she  entered  Boston  har- 


NEWS  FKOM  HOME,   AND   RETUKN.  179 

bor.  Benjamin  had  been  absent  seven  months,  and 
his  parents  had  not  heard  a  word  from  him.  His 
brother-in-law  had  not  returned  from  Newcastle,  nor 
written  to  them  about  his  knowledge  of  Benjamin. 
The  reader  may  well  imagine,  then,  that  he  took 
them  all  by  surprise.  His  poor  mother  had  laid  his 
absence  to  heart  so  much,  that  it  had  worn  upon  her, 
and  his  return  was  to  her  almost  like  life  from  the 
dead.  She  was  overjoyed,  and  no  language  could 
express  her  delight  as  she  looked  into  the  face  of  her 
long-lost  Benjamin.  His  father  was  not  less  rejoiced, 
although  he  had  a  different  way  of  showing  it.  In 
deed,  all  the  family,  except  his  brother  James,  gave 
him  a  most  cordial  and  affectionate  welcome.  He 
did  not  return  ragged  and  penniless,  as  runaways 
generally  do,  but  he  was  clad  in  a  new  and  hand 
some  suit,  carried  a  watch  in  his  pocket,  and  had 
about  five  pounds  sterling  in  silver  in  his  purse. 
He  never  looked  half  so  genteel  and  neat  in  his  life, 
and  certainly  never  commanded  so  much  money  at 
one  time  before. 

Before  his  brother  James  heard  of  his  arrival, 
Benjamin  hastened  to  the  printing-office,  and  star 
tled  him  by  suddenly  standing  before  him.  James 
stopped  his  work,  saluted  him  in  rather  a  reserved 
manner,  and,  after  surveying  him  from  head  to  foot, 
turned  to  his  work  again.  It  was  rather  a  cold 
reception  on  the  whole,  but  not  altogether  unex 
pected  to  Benjamin.  A  brother  who  had  driven 


180  THE   PRINTER-BOY. 

him  away  by  his  harsh  treatment  could  hardly  be 
expected  to  welcome  him  back  with  a  very  warm 
heart. 

The  journeymen  were  delighted  to  see  him,  and 
they  were  very  inquisitive. 

"  Where  have  you  been,  Ben  ?  "  asked  one. 

"  To  Philadelphia,"  he  answered. 

"  What  kind  of  a  place  is  it  ?  " 

"  It  is  one  of  the  finest  places  I  ever  saw.  I  like 
it  better  than  Boston." 

"  Going  back  ?  "  inquired  a  second  person. 

"  Yes  ;  and  very  soon,  too,"  he  replied.  "  That 
is  the  place  for  the  printing  business." 

"  What  kind  of  money  do  you  have  there  ?  "  in 
quired  another.  There  was  no  established  currency 
in  the  country  at  that  time,  and  his  interrogator 
wanted  to  know  what  they  used  in  Philadelphia. 

Instead  of  replying  directly,  Benjamin  drew  the 
silver  from  his  pocket,  and  spread  it  out  before  them. 
It  was  quite  a  curiosity  to  them,  as  they  used  only 
paper  money  in  Boston  ;  and,  besides,  it  caused 
them  to  think  that  their  old  associate  had  fallen 
upon  lucky  days. 

"  You  made  a  lucky  hit,  Ben,  this  time,"  -said 
one. 

"  Heavy  stuff  to  carry  about,"  suggested  a  second. 
"  A  man  would  want  a  wheelbarrow  if  he  had  much 
of  it." 

"  Perhaps  you  would  accept  of  the  wheelbarrow 


NEWS  FROM  HOME,  AND  RETURN.       181 

and  silver  together,  rather  than  to  have  neither," 
responded  Benjamin. 

By  this  time  Benjamin's  watch  was  discovered, 
and  there  was  a  general  desire  to  see  it ;  so  he  laid  it 
down  before  them,  while  his  brother  appeared  "  gram 
and  sullen." 

"  That  is  a  convenient  companion,"  said  Benja 
min,  as  he  laid  it  down. 

"  And  you  can  afford  to  have  such  things,"  added 
one  of  the  number,  "  because  you  save  your  money, 
and  don't  spend  it  for  pleasure,  drink,  and  luxu 
ries." 

"  Ben  has  fared  so  well,"  said  one,  "  that  it  be 
longs  to  him  to  treat  the  company."  As  we  have 
said  before,  the  use  of  intoxicating  drinks  was  gen 
eral  at  that  time,  and  when  old  friends  met,  it  was 
common  to  signalize  the  occasion  by  the  use  of  such 
beverage.  Had  Benjamin  lived  at  this  day,  with  his 
temperate  habits,  he  would  have  refused  to  pander 
to  their  appetite  for  strong  drink,  and  suggested 
some  other  kind  of  treat.  But,  living  as  he  did 
when  there  were  no  temperance  societies,  and  no 
alarm  at  the  growing  evils  of  intoxication,  he  ac 
cepted  the  proposal  in  his  accustomed  generous 
way. 

"  There  is  a  dollar,"  said  he,  throwing  out  a 
dollar  in  silver,  "  take  that,  and  drink  what  you 
please  for  old  acquaintance'  sake."  Then,  pocket 
ing  his  watch  and  money,  he  took  his  leave. 


182  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

His  brother  was  greatly  incensed  at  this  visit,  and 
regarded  it  in  the  light  of  an  insult.  His  mother 
endeavored  to  bring  him  to  terms  of  reconciliation 
with  Benjamin,  but  in  vain. 

"  You  are  brothers,"  said  she,  "  and  you  ought  to 
behave  towards  each  other  as  brothers.  It  is  very 
painful  to  me  to  think  of  your  hostility  to  Benjamin, 
and  I  do  hope  that  you  will  forget  the  past,  and  be 
true  to  each  other  in  future." 

"  Never,"  replied  James.  "  He  insulted  me  so 
directly  before  my  workmen  the  other  day,  that  I 
shall  not  forget  nor  forgive  it." 

James  was  mistaken  in  his  view  of  Benjamin's  in 
tention.  The  latter  did  not  mean  to  insult  him  at 
the  office.  He  would  have  been  glad  of  a  cordial 
welcome  from  James,  and  his  feelings  were  such  that 
he  would  have  rejoicingly  blotted  out  the  recollec 
tion  of  his  former  ill-treatment,  had  James  met  him 
as  a  brother. 

Benjamin  took  the  first  opportunity  to  make 
known  to  his  father  the  object  and  circumstances 
of  his  visit  home,  and  to  hand  him  the  Governor's 
letter,  which  he  received  with  manifest  surprise, 
though  he  evidently  doubted  whether  it  was  gen 
uine.  For  several  days  he  made  no  conversation 
about  the  matter,  as  he  did  not  exactly  know  what 
to  make  of  it.  Just  then  Captain  Homes  returned, 
and  Mr.  Franklin  showed  him  the  letter  of  Gov 
ernor  Keith,  and  inquired  if  he  knew  the  man. 


NEWS  FROM  HOME,   AND  RETURN.  183 

"  I  have  met  him,"  replied  Captain  Homes,  "  and 
was  pleased  with  his  appearance.  I  think  it  would 
be  well  for  Benjamin  to  follow  his  advice." 

"  He  cannot  be  a  man  of  much  discretion,"  con 
tinued  Mr.  Franklin,  "  to  think  of  setting  up  a  boy 
in  business  who  lacks  three  years  of  arriving  at  his 
majority.  The  project  does  not  strike  me  favorably 

at  all." 

"  He  was  much  taken  with  Benjamin's  abilities," 
added  Captain  Homes,  "  by  a  letter  which  I  received 
from  him  at  Newcastle,  and  which  I  read  to  him,  as 
he  was  present  when  I  received  it," 

"His  letters  may  be  well  enough,  for  aught  I 
know  ;  but  a  youth  of  his  age,  though  his  abilities  be 
good,  has  not  sufficient  judgment  to  conduct  busi 
ness  for  himself.  I  shall  not  give  my  consent  to 
such  a  wild  scheme." 

Mr.  Franklin  replied  to  Governor  Keith's  letter, 
and  thanked  him  kindly  for  the  patronage  he  of 
fered  his  son,  but  declining  to  set  up  a  youth  in  a 
business  of  so  much  importance. 

"  I  am  rejoiced,"  said  he  to  Benjamin,  just  before 
the  latter  started  to  go  back,  "  that  you  have  con 
ducted  yourself  so  well  as  to  secure  the  esteem  of  Sir 
William  Keith.  Your  appearance,  too,  shows  that 
you  have  been  industrious  and  economical,  all  of 
which  pleases  me  very  much.  I  should  advise  you 
to  go  back,  and  think  no  more  of  going  into  business 
for  yourself  until  you  are  of  age.  By  industry,  econ- 


184  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

omy,  and  perseverance  you  will  be  able  to  command 
the  means  of  establishing  business  then.  As  yet  you 
are  too  young.  I  should  be  glad  to  have  you  remain 
here  with  your  brother,  if  he  could  be  reconciled  to 
you  ;  but  as  it  is,  you  shall  have  my  approbation  and 
blessing  in  returning  to  Philadelphia." 

It  was  during  this  visit  to  Boston  that  he  called 
upon  the  celebrated  Dr.  Increase  Mather,  to  whose 
preaching  he  had  been  accustomed  to  listen.  The 
Doctor  received  him  kindly,  and  introduced  him  into 
his  library,  where  they  chatted  in  a  familiar  way  for 
some  time.  When  Benjamin  rose  to  go  out,  "  Come 
this  way,"  said  the  Doctor,  "  I  will  show  you  a 
nearer  passage  out,"  —  pointing  him  to  a  narrow 
passage,  with  a  beam  crossing  it  overhead.  They 
were  still  talking,  the  Doctor  following  behind,  and 
Benjamin  partly  turned  around  toward  him. 

"  Stoop  !  stoop  !  "  shouted  the  Doctor. 

Benjamin  did  not  understand  what  he  meant,  un 
til  his  head  struck  against  the  beam  with  considera 
ble  force. 

"  There,"  said  the  Doctor,  laughing,  "  you  are 
young,  and  have  the  world  before  you  ;  stoop  as 
you  go  through  it,  and  you  may  miss  many  hard 
thumps." 

Nearly  seventy  years  after,  the  recipient  of  this 
counsel  wrote  :  — 

"  This  advice,  thus  beaten  into  my  head,  has  fre 
quently  been  of  use  to  me  ;  and  I  often  think  of  it, 


NEWS  FKOM  HOME,   AND  RETUEN.  185 

when  I  see  pride  mortified,  and  misfortunes  brought 
upon  people  by  their  carrying  their  heads  too  high." 
Benjamin's  old  companion,  Collins,  was  delighted 
with  his  account  of  Philadelphia,  and  resolved  to 
accompany  him  thither  011  his  return.  He  was  a 
clerk  in  the  post-office  ;  but  he  gave  up  his  situation 
for  the  more  alluring  prospects  of  a  residence  in 
Pennsylvania.  He  started  two  or  three  days  before 
Benjamin,  as  he  wanted  to  stop  and  make  a  visit  in 
Rhode  Island,  having  previously  gathered  up  his 
books,  "  which  were  a  pretty  collection  in  mathe 
matics  and  philosophy,"  and  packed  them  to  go,  with 
Benjamin's  baggage,  around  by  sea  to  New  York, 
where  they  would  meet. 


XIX. 

BACK  AGAIN, 

ON  HIS  return,  Benjamin  sailed  in  a  sloop  to 
New  York,  where  he  had  arranged  to  meet 
Collins.  They  put  in  at  Newport  on  business, 
where  he  had  a  good  opportunity  to  visit  his  brother 
John,  who  had  been  married  and  settled  there  some 
years.  He  received  a  very  hearty  and  affectionate 
welcome  from  his  brother,  who  was  always  kind  and 
true  to  him.  His  stay  was  short,  as  he  must  go 
when  the  sloop  did,  but  he  made  the  most  of  it,  and 
crowded  a  great  deal  of  enjoyment  into  a  short 
space  of  time.  Just  before  he  left  Newport,  a 
friend  of  his  brother,  a  Mr.  Vernon,  requested  him 
to  collect  a  debt  for  him  in  Pennsylvania,  of  about 
thirty-five  pounds  currency,  and  use  the  money  as 
he  pleased  until  he  should  call  for  it.  Accordingly, 
he  gave  Benjamin  an  order  to  receive  it. 

At  Newport  they  took  in  a  number  of  passengers, 
among  whom  was  a  Quaker  lady  and  her  servants, 
and  two  young  women.  Benjamin  was  very  polite 
to  assist  the  Quaker  lady  about  her  baggage,  for 
which  she  was  very  thankful.  He  soon  became 


BACK  AGAIN.  187 

acquainted  with  the  two  young  women,  and  they 
laughed  and  chatted  together.  They  were  hand 
somely  attired,  appeared  intelligent,  and  were  ex 
tremely  sociable.  The  motherly  Quaker  lady  saw 
that  there  was  a  growing  familiarity  between  them, 
and  she  called  Benjamin  aside,  feeling  for  him 
somewhat  as  she  would  for  a  son,  and  said :  "  Young- 
man,  I  am  concerned  for  thee,  as  thou  hast  no 
friend  with  thee,  and  seems  not  to  know  much  of 
the  world,  or  of  the  snares  youth  is  exposed  to ; 
depend  upon  it,  these  are  very  bad  women ;  I  can 
see  it  by  all  their  actions ;  and  if  thou  art  not  upon 
thy  guard,  they  will  draw  thee  into  some  danger ; 
they  are  strangers  to  thee,  and  I  advise  thee,  in  a 
friendly  concern  for  thy  welfare,  to  have  no  ac 
quaintance  with  them." 

"Indeed,"  said  Benjamin,  with  much  surprise, 
"  I  see  nothing  out  of  the  way  in  them.  They  are 
intelligent  and  social ;  and  I  am  rather  surprised  at 
your  suspicions." 

"  But  I  have  heard  them  say  enough  to  convince 
me  that  my  suspicions  are  well  founded,"  replied 
the  old  lady ;  and  she  repeated  to  him  some  of  their 
conversation  which  she  had  overheard. 

"You  are  right,  then,"  quickly  answered  Ben 
jamin,  after  listening  to  her.  "  I  am  much  obliged 
to  you  for  your  advice,  and  I  will  heed  it  ?  " 

Just  before  they  arrived  at  New  York  the  young 
women  invited  him  to  call  at  their  residence,  nam- 


188  THE  PK1HTEK-BOY. 

ing  the  street  and  number,  but  he  did  not  accept 
their  invitation.  The  next  day  the  captain  missed 
a  silver  spoon  and  other  things  from  the  cabin, 
and,  suspecting  the  two  girls,  had  their  residence 
searched,  where  the  missing  articles  were  found,  in 
consequence  of  which  the  artful  thieves  were  pun 
ished.  Benjamin  always  felt  thankful  to  the  old 
lady  for  her  timely  warning,  and  considered  that 
following  her  advice  probably  saved  him  from 
trouble  and  ruin. 

Collins  had  been  in  New  York  several  days  when 
Benjamin  arrived.  The  latter  was  astounded  to 
find  him  intoxicated  when  they  met. 

"  Can  it  be,"  he  exclaimed  to  Collins,  "  that  you 
are  intemperate  ?  " 

"  I  intemperate ! "  retorted  Collins,  disposed  to 
resent  the  accusation.  "  Do  you  call  me  drunk  ?  " 

"  No,  you  are  not  exactly  drunk ;  but  then  you 
are  disguised  with  liquor,  and  I  am  utterly  aston 
ished.  Once  you  was  as  temperate  and  industrious 
as  any  young  man  in  Boston,  and  far  more  respected 
than  most  of  them.  How  did  it  happen  that  you 
formed  this  evil  habit  ?  " 

Collins  saw  that  he  could  not  deceive  Benjamin ; 
so  he  made  a  clean  breast  of  the  matter,  and  con 
fessed  to  have  formed  intemperate  habits  soon  after 
Benjamin  first  left  Boston.  He  said  that  his  appe 
tite  for  brandy  was  strong,  and  that  he  had  been  in 
toxicated  every  day  since  his  arrival  in  New  York. 


BACK  AGAIN.  189 

"  I  have  lost  all  my  money,"  he  said,  "  and  have 
nothing  to  pay  my  bills." 

"  Lost  your  money ! "  exclaimed  Benjamin.  "  How 
did  you  lose  that  ?  " 

"  I  lost  it  gaming,"  he  replied. 

"  What !  a  gambler,  too  ?  " 

"  Yes,  if  you  will  have  it  so,"  answered  Collins, 
somewhat  coolly  ;  "  and  you  must  loan  me  money 
to  pay  my  bills." 

"  If  I  had  known  this,"  continued  Benjamin,  "  I 
would  not  have  persuaded  you  to  leave  Boston. 
And  here  let  me  tell  you,  that  it  is  impossible  for 
you  to  find  a  situation  unless  you  reform." 

"  Perhaps  so,"  answered  Collins  ;  "  but  that  is  not 
the  question  now  that  interests  me.  I  want  to  know 
whether  you  will  loan  me  money  to  pay  my  bills 
here  and  go  on  my  journey  ?  " 

"  I  must,  for  aught  I  see,"  replied  Benjamin. 
"  I  should  not  leave  you  here  without  money  and 
friends,  of  course,  for  that  would  be  cruel.  But 
you  must  try  to  reform." 

Collins  was  a  very  bright,  efficient  young  man, 
as  we  have  seen,  possessing  marked  mathematical 
talents,  and  he  might  have  become  one  of  the  first 
scholars  of  his  day,  had  he  enjoyed  the  advantages 
of  a  course  of  study.  Some  of  the  clergymen  of 
Boston  showed  him  much  attention  on  account  of 
his  abilities  and  love  of  books.  But  strong  drink 
blasted  his  hopes. 


190  THE  PRINTEK-BOY. 

In  New  York,  Benjamin  received  a  message  from 
Governor  Burnet,  inviting  him  to  call  at  his  house. 
This  was  quite  as  unexpected  as  the  visit  of  Gov 
ernor  Keith,  and  he  began  to  think  that  governors 
had  a  passionate  regard  for  him.  He  found,  how 
ever,  that  the  Governor  had  learned  from  the  captain 
of  the  sloop,  that  he  had  a  young  man  on  board 
who  brought  with  him  a  large  number  of  books 
from  Boston.  This  interested  the  Governor,  and  was 
the  occasion  of  his  sending  the  aforesaid  invitation 
to  Benjamin. 

He  accepted  the  invitation,  and  would  have  taken 
Collins  with  him  if  the  latter  had  been  sober.  Gov 
ernor  Burnet  received  him  with  much  cordiality, 
showed  him  his  large  library,  and  conversed  freely 
about  books  and  authors  for  some  time.  It  was 
an  agreeable  interview  to  Benjamin,  the  more  so 
because  it  was  the  second  time  that  a  Governor 
had  sought  him  out,  and  showed  him  attention. f" 

They  proceeded  to  Philadelphia.  On  the  way 
Benjamin  collected  Yernon's  debt,  which  proved 
quite  fortunate,  since  otherwise  his  money  would  not 
have  carried  him  through,  because  he  had  the  bills 
of  two  to  pay.  A  good  trip  brought  them  safely  to 
their  place  of  destination,  and  Collins  boarded  with 
Benjamin,  at  the  latter's  expense,  waiting  for  an 
opening  in  some  counting-room. 

The  reader  may  be  curious  to  learn  the  fate  of 
Collins,  and  we  will  briefly  record  it  here.  He  tried 


BACK  AGAIN.  191 

in  vain  to  secure  a  situation,  but  his  dram-drinking 
habits  prevented.  Every  few  days  he  went  to  Ben 
jamin  for  money,  knowing  that  he  had  that  of  Ver- 
non,  always  promising  to  pay  as  soon  as  he  found 
business.  Benjamin,  in  the  kindness  of  his  heart, 
loaned  him  little  by  little,  until  he  was  troubled  to 
know  what  he  should  do  if  Vernon  should  call  for 
the  money.  Sometimes  he  lectured  Collins  severely 
for  his  habits,  until  their  friendship  was  essentially 
modified.  One  day  they  were  in  a  boat  with  other 
young  men,  on  the  Delaware,  when  Collins  refused 
to  row. 

"  We  shall  not  row  you,"  said  Benjamin. 

"  You  will  row  me,  or  stay  all  night  on  the  water, 
just  as  you  please,"  retorted  Collins. 

"  We  can  stay  as  long  as  you  can,"  continued 
Benjamin.  "  I  shall  not  row  you." 

"  Come,  Ben,  let  us  row,"  said  one  of  the  young 
men.  "  If  he  don't  want  to  row,  let  him  sit  still." 

"  Row  him,  if  you  want  to,"  replied  Benjamin, 
"  I  shall  not." 

"Yes,  you  will,"  shouted  Collins,  starting  from 
his  seat.  "  I  will  be  rowed  home,  and  you  shall  help 
do  it,  or  I  will  throw  you  overboard  ;  "  and  he  hur 
ried  on  to  execute  his  threat.  But,  as  he  came  up 
and  struck  at  him,  Benjamin  clapped  his  head  under 
his  thighs,  and,  rising,  threw  him  head  over  heels 
into  the  river.  He  knew  that  Collins  was  a  good 
swimmer,  so  that  he  had  no  fears  about  his  drown 
ing. 


192  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

"Will  you  row  now?"  lie  inquired,  as  Collins 
swam  towards  the  boat. 

"  Not  a  stroke,"  he  answered,  angrily  ;  whereupon 
they  sent  the  boat  forward  out  of  his  reach,  with  one 
or  two  strokes  of  the  oar.  Again  and  again  they  al 
lowed  him  to  approach  the  boat,  when  they  repeated 
the  question :  "  Will  you  promise  to  row  ?  "  and  as 
often  received  an  emphatic  "  No  "  for  a  reply.  At 
length,  perceiving  that  he  was  quite  exhausted,  they 
drew  him  in  without  extorting  from  him  a  promise 
to  row. 

This  scene  closed  the  intimate  relations  of  Ben 
jamin  to  Collins.  They  scarcely  spoke  together  civ 
illy  afterward.  Collins  sailed  for  Barbadoes,  with 
in  a  few  weeks  after,  and  he  was  never  heard  from 
again.  He  probably  died  there,  a  miserable  sot,  and 
Benjamin  lost  all  the  money  he  loaned  him.  In 
later  life,  Benjamin  Franklin  referred  to  this  event, 
and  spoke  of  himself  as  having  received  retribution 
for  his  influence  over  Collins.  For,  when  they  were 
so  intimate  in  Boston,  Benjamin  corrupted  his  re 
ligious  opinions  by  advocating  doubts  about  the 
reality  of  religion,  until  Collins  became  a  thorough 
sceptic.  Until  that  time,  he  was  industrious,  tem 
perate,  and  honest.  But  having  lost  his  respect  for 
religion,  he  was  left  without  restraint,  and  went  rap 
idly  to  ruin.  Benjamin  was  the  greatest  sufferer  by 
his  fall,  and  thus  was  rebuked  for^  influencing  him 
to  treat  religion  with  contempt. 


BACK  AGAIN.  193 

Benjamin  immediately  sought  an  interview  with 
Governor  Keith,  and  told  him  the  result  of  his  visit 
home,  and  gave  his  father's  reasons  for  declining  to 
assist  him. 

"  But  since  he  will  not  set  you  up,"  said  the  Gov 
ernor,  "  I  will  do  it  myself.  Give  me  an  inventory 
of  the  things  necessary  to  be  had  from  England,  and 
I  will  send  for  them.  You  shall  repay  me  when  you 
are  able  ;  I  am  resolved  to  have  a  good  printer  here, 
and  I  am  sure  you  must  succeed." 

This  was  said  with  such  apparent  cordiality  that 
Benjamin  did  not  doubt  that  he  meant  just  what 
he  affirmed,  so  he  yielded  to  his  suggestion  to  make 
out  an  inventory  of  necessary  articles.  In  the  mean 
time  he  went  to  work  for  Keimer. 


9 


XX. 

A  LITEEAEY  GAME. 

AT  THIS  point  it  is  necessary  to  speak  of  Ben 
jamin's  associates.  He  was  not  long  in  find 
ing  new  acquaintances  in  Philadelphia.  His  indus 
try  and  general  good  habits  won  the  respect  and 
confidence  of  all  who  came  in  contact  with  him. 
Among  those  who  particularly  pleased  him  were 
three  young  men,  Charles  Osborne,  Joseph  Watson, 
and  James  Ralph,  all  lovers  of  reading.  Their  liter 
ary  tendencies  no  doubt  attracted  Benjamin,  and 
caused  him  to  value  their  companionship  more 
highly.  The  first  two  were  clerks  of  Charles  Brock- 
den,  an  eminent  conveyancer  of  the  town,  and  the 
other  was  a  merchant's  clerk.  Watson  was  a  pious 
young  man  of  sterling  integrity,  while  the  others 
were  more  lax  in  their  religious  opinions  and  princi 
ples.  All  were  sensible  young  men,  much  above 
the  average  of  this  class  in  intellectual  endowments. 
Osborne  and  Ralph  were  imaginative  and  poetical, 
and  frequently  tried  their  talents  at  verse-making. 
Much  of  their  leisure  time  was  spent  together, 
reading  to  each  other,  and  discussing  what  they 


A  LITER AEY  GAME.  195 

read.  Even  their  Sundays  were  often  wickedly  de 
voted  to  such  intellectual  pastime  on  the  banks  of 
the  Schuylkill,  whither  they  strolled,  instead  of  vis 
iting  the  house  of  God,  except  Watson,  who  had  too 
much  religious  principle  thus  to  desecrate  the  Sab 
bath. 

"  You  overrate  your  talent  for  poetry,"  said  Os- 
borne  to  Ralph,  at  one  of  their  interviews.  "  You 
will  never  make  a  poet,  if  you  live  to  be  as  old  as 
Methuselah." 

"  Much  obliged  for  your  compliment,"  answered 
Ralph  ;  "  but  it  does  not  alter  my  own  opinion.  All 
poets  have  their  faults  when  they  begin.  It  is  prac 
tice  that  makes  perfect." 

"  It  will  take  something  more  than  practice  to 
make  a  poet  of  you,"  continued  Osborne.  "  That 
piece  which  you  just  read  has  no  poetry  about  it. 
Besides,  if  you  should  become  a  poet,  it  will  not 
bring  you  a  fortune,  as  you  seem  to  think." 

"  Perhaps  not ;  but  I  am  confident  that  a  poet 
may  easily  win  both  popularity  and  a  livelihood. 
At  any  rate,  I  am  determined  to  try  it,  in  spite  of 
your  decidedly  poor  opinion  of  my  abilities." 

"  Well,  I  advise  you  to  stick  to  the  business  to 
which  you  were  bred,"  added  Osborne,  "if  you 
would  keep  out  of  the  poor-house.  A  good  clerk  is 
better  than  a  bad  poet;"  —and  he  cast  a  particu 
larly  roguish  glance  at  Ralph  as  he  said  it. 

"  You  need  not  set  yourself  up  for  a  critic,"  said 


196  THE  rRJNTEK-BOY. 

Benjamin  to  Osborne,  after  hearing  these  remarks. 
"  I  think  more  of  Ralph  as  a  poet  than  I  do  of  you 
as  a  critic.  You  are  not  willing  to  grant  that  his 
productions  have  any  merit  at  all ;  but  I  think  they 
have.  Moreover,  it  is  a  good  practice  for  him  to 
write  poetry,  to  improve  himself  in  the  use  of  lan 
guage." 

"  Fiddlestick  !  "  retorted  Osborne  ;  "  it  is  wasting 
his  time,  that  might  be  profitably  employed  in  read- 
ing." 

"  Not  half  so  much  as  your  empty  criticisms  are 
wasting  your  breath,"  said  Benjamin,  with  a  smile. 
"  But,  look  here,  I  will  tell  you  what  we  better  do. 
At  our  next  meeting  each  one  of  us  shall  bring  a 
piece  of  poetry,  of  our  own  making,  and  we  will 
compare  notes,  and  criticise  each  other." 

"I  will  agree  to  that,"  replied  Ralph. 

"And  so  will  I,"  added  Osborne,  "provided  you 
will  decide  upon  the  subject  now,  so  that  all  shall 
have  fair  play." 

"  We  will  do  that,  of  course,"  answered  Benjamin. 
"  Have  you  a  subject  to  suggest  ?  " 

"  None,  unless  it  is  a  paraphrase  of  the  eigh 
teenth  Psalm,  which  describes  the  descent  of  the 
Deity." 

"  A  capital  subject,"  said  Benjamin  ;  "  what  do 
you  say  to  taking  that,  Ralph  ?  " 

"I  am  satisfied  with  it,"  replied  Ralph;  "and 
more,  too,  —  I  rather  like  it." 


A  LITERARY   GAME.  197 

Thus  it  was  agreed  that  each  one  should  write 
a  poetical  paraphrase  of  the  eighteenth  Psalm  for 
their  next  meeting,  and  with  this  understanding 
they  separated. 

Just  before  the  time  of  their  next  meeting,  Ralph 
called  upon  Benjamin  with  his  piece,  and  asked  him 
to  examine  it. 

"  I  have  been  so  busy,"  said  Benjamin,  "  that  I 
have  not  been  able  to  write  anything,  and  I  shall  be 
obliged  to  appear  unprepared.  But  I  should  like 
to  read  yours  ;  "  and  he  proceeded  to  examine  it. 

"  That  is  excellent,"  said  he,  after  reading  it. 
"  You  have  not  written  anything  that  is  equal  to 
this." 

"  But,"  said  Ralph,  "  Osborne  never  will  allow 
the  least  merit  in  anything  of  mine,  but  makes  a 
thousand  criticisms,  out  of  mere  envy.  He  will  do 
so  with  that  piece,  I  have  no  doubt." 

"If  he  does,  it  will  prove  that  he  is  prejudiced 
against  you,  or  is  no  judge  of  poetry,"  replied  Ben 
jamin. 

"  I  have  a  plan  to  test  him,"  continued  Ralph. 
"  He  is  not  so  jealous  of  you  ;  I  wish,  therefore,  you 
would  take  this  piece  and  produce  it  as  yours.  I 
will  make  some  excuse  and  have  nothing.  We 
shall  then  hear  what  he  will  say  to  it." 

"  I  will  do  it,"  answered  Benjamin,  who  was 
well  convinced  that  Osborne  was  prejudiced  against 
Ralph ;  "  but  I  must  transcribe  it,  so  that  it  will 
appear  in  my  own  handwriting." 


198  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

"  Certainly ;  and  be  careful  that  you  don't  let  the 
secret  out." 

They  met  at  the  appointed  time.  "Watson  was 
the  first  to  read  his  performance.  Osborne  came 
next,  and  his  piece  was  much  better  than  Watson's. 
Ralph  noticed  two  or  three  blemishes,  but  pointed 
out  many  beauties  in  it. 

"  I  have  nothing  to  read,"  said  Ralph,  whose  turn 
came  next  in  order.  "  I  will  try  to  do  my  part  next 
time." 

"  Poets  ought  to  be  ready  at  any  time,"  remarked 
Osborne  jestingly.  "  Well,  then,  Ben,  let  us  have 
yours." 

"  I  rather  think  I  must  be  excused,"  answered 
Benjamin,  feigning  an  unwillingness  to  read. 

"  No  excuse  for  you,"  said  Osborne.  "  You  have 
it  written,  for  I  saw  it  in  your  hand." 

"  That  is  true,"  replied  Benjamin  ;  "  but  after 
such  fine  productions  as  we  have  heard,  there  is 
little  encouragement  for  me  to  read  mine.  I  think 
I  must  correct  it  and  dress  it  up  a  little  before  I 
read  it." 

"  Not  a  word  of  it,"  said  Ralph.  "  There  is  no 
excuse  for  any  one  who  is  prepared." 

So,  after  much  urging,  Benjamin  proceeded  to 
read  his,  with  seeming  diffidence,  to  which  all  lis 
tened  with  rapt  attention. 

"  You  must  read  that  again,"  said  Osborne,  when 
the  first  reading  was  finished ;  which  Benjamin  con 
sented  to  do. 


A  LITEEAEY   GAME.  199 

"  You  surprise  me,  Ben,"  said  Osbome,  after  the 
piece  was  read  the  second  time.  "  You  are  a  gen 
uine  poet.  I  had  no  idea  that  you  could  write  like 
that." 

"  Nor  I,"  added  Watson.  "  It  is  better  than  half 
the  poetry  that  is  printed.  If  we  had  not  given  out 
the  subject,  I  should  have  charged  you  with  steal 
ing  it." 

"  What  do  you  say,  Ralph  ? "  inquired  Osborne. 
"  You  are  a  poet,  and  ought  to  be  a  judge  of  such 
matters." 

"  I  don't  think  it  is  entirely  faultless,"  responded 
Ralph.  "  You  have  commended  it  full  as  highly  as 
it  will  bear,  in  my  estimation." 

"  Well  done  !"  exclaimed  Osborne.  "Your  opin 
ion  of  that  piece  proves  that  you  are  destitute  of 
poetical  taste,  as  I  have  told  you  before." 

Ralph  and  Benjamin  saw  that  Osborne  was  fairly 
caught,  and  they  hardly  dared  to  exchange  glances, 
lest  they  should  betray  themselves.  They  succeeded, 
however,  in  controlling  their  risibles,  and  allowed 
Osborne  to  express  himself  most  emphatically. 

Ralph  walked  home  with  Osborne,  and  their  con 
versation  was  upon  Benjamin's  poetry. 

"  Who   would    have    imagined,"    said    Osborne, 
"  that  Franklin   was   capable   of  such   a   perform 
ance,  —  such  painting,  such  force,  such  fire !     He 
has  even  improved  on  the  original.     In  common 
conversation    he    seems    to    have    no    choice    of 


200  THE  PKINTER-BOY. 

words  ;  he  hesitates  and  blunders  ;  and  yet,  how 
he  writes ! " 

"Possibly  he  might  not  have  written  it,"  sug 
gested  Ralph. 

"  That  is  the  <  unkindest  cut  of  all,'  "  retorted 
Osborne,  "  to  charge  him  of  plagiarism.  Franklin 
would  not  descend  to  so  mean  a  thing." 

They  parted  for  that  night ;  but  Ralph  embraced 
the  first  opportunity  to  call  on  Benjamin,  and  have 
a  sort  of  rejoicing  over  the  success  of  their  enter 
prise.  They  laughed  to  their  hearts'  content,  and 
discussed  the  point  of  revealing  the  secret.  They 
finally  concluded  that  the  real  author  of  the  article 
should  be  known  at  their  next  meeting. 

Accordingly,  the  affair  was  managed  to  bring  the 
facts  of  the  case  before  their  companions  at  their 
next  gathering.  Osborne  was  utterly  confounded 
when  the  revelation  was  made,  and  knew  not  what 
to  say  for  himself.  Watson  shook  his  whole  frame 
with  convulsive  laughter  at  poor  Osborne 's  expense, 
and  Benjamin  joined  him  with  a  keen  relish.  Never 
was  a  fellow  in  more  mortifying  predicament  than 
this  would-be  critic,  since  it  was  now  so  manifest 
that  he  was  influenced  by  blind  prejudice  in  his  crit 
icisms  upon  Ralph's  poetry.  It  was  certain  now  that 
he  had  given  it  his  most  emphatic  indorsement. 

A  few  years  after,  Watson  died  in  Benjamin's 
arms,  much  lamented  by  all  his  companions,  who 
regarded  him  as  "  the  best  of  their  set."  Osborne 


A  LITEEAEY   GAME.  201 

removed  to  the  West  Indies,  where  he  became  an 
eminent  lawyer,  but  was  early  cut  off  by  death. 
Of  the  others  we  shall  have  occasion  to  speak  here 
after. 

It  is  quite  evident  that  this  literary  way  of  spend 
ing  their  leisure  time  was  of  great  advantage  to  this 
group  of  youths.  Doubtless  it  had  somewhat  to  do 
with  the  taste  which  most  of  them  who  lived  exhib 
ited  for  literature  and  science  in  after  life.  It  is  cer 
tainly  an  example  of  the  wise  use  of  spare  moments 
which  the  young  may  safely  imitate. 


XXI. 

GOING  TO  ENGLAND, 

AT  THE  earliest  opportunity,  Benjamin  pre 
sented  the  Governor  with  an  inventory  of 
the  articles  necessary  in  setting  up  the  printing 
business. 

"  And  what  will  be  the  probable  expense  of 
all  these  ?  "  inquired  the  Governor. 

"  About  one  hundred  pounds  sterling,  as  nearly 
as  I  can  estimate,"  he  replied. 

"  But  would  it  not  prove  an  advantage  for  you 
to  be  there  yourself,  to  select  the  types,  and  see  that 
everything  is  good  ?  " 

"  I  suppose  it  would,  though  such  a  thing  as  go 
ing  to  England  is  scarcely  possible  with  me." 

"  That  remains  to  be  seen,"  continued  Governor 
Keith.  "  Another  advantage  of  your  being  there 
is,  that  you  could  form  acquaintances,  and  establish 
correspondence  in  the  bookselling  and  stationery 
line." 

"  That  would  certainly  be  an  advantage,"  replied 
Benjamin. 

"  Then  get  yourself  ready  to  go  in  the  Annis," 


GOING  TO  ENGLAND.  203 

said  the  Governor.  The  Annis  was  the  annual  ship 
that  sailed  between  Philadelphia  and  London,  and 
the  only  one,  at  that  time,  which  performed  this 
voyage.  Instead  of  there  being  scores  of  vessels 
sailing  between  these  two  ports,  as  now,  there  was 
only  this  solitary  one,  going  and  returning  once 
a  year. 

"  It  is  not  necessary  to  prepare  immediately," 
answered  Benjamin,  "  since  it  is  several  months 
before  the  Annis  will  sail." 

"  True  ;  I  only  meant  that  you  should  be  in  read 
iness  when  the  ship  sails.  It  will  be  necessary  for 
you  still  to  keep  the  matter  secret  while  you  con 
tinue  to  work  for  Keimer." 

Keimer,  for  whom  Benjamin  worked,  was  a  singu 
lar  man  in  some  respects,  and  loved  to  draw  him 
into  discussions  upon  religious  subjects.  At  one 
time  he  thought  seriously  of  originating  a  new  sect, 
and  proposed  to  Benjamin  to  join  him,  as  his  mas 
terly  powers  of  argumentation  would  confound 
opponents.  He  wore  his  beard  long,  because  it  is 
somewhere  said  in  the  Mosaic  Law,  "  Thou  shalt 
not  mar  the  corners  of  thy  beard."  Also,  he  kept 
the  seventh,  instead  of  the  first  day  of  the  week, 
as  a  Sabbath.  Benjamin  opposed  him  on  these 
points,  and  their  discussions  were  frequent  and 
warm.  Keimer  often  exhorted  him  to  embrace  his 
own  peculiar  views  on  these  subjects.  Finally  Ben 
jamin  replied :  "  I  will  do  it,  provided  you  will 


204  THE  PKINTER-BOY. 

join  me  in  not  eating  animal  food,  and  I  will  ad 
here  to  them  as  long  as  you  will  stick  to  a  vege 
table  diet." 

Benjamin  was  here  aiming  at  some  diversion, 
since  Keimer  was  a  great  eater,  and  thought  much 
of  a  savory  dish.  Benjamin  rather  wanted  to  starve 
him  a  little,  as  he  thought  some  of  his  preaching 
and  practice  did  not  correspond. 

"I  shall  die,"  said  Keimer,  "to  adopt  such  a 
diet ;  my  constitution  will  not  bear  it." 

"  Nonsense  !  "  answered  Benjamin.  "  You  will 
be  better  than  you  are  now.  So  much  animal  food 
is  bad  for  any  one." 

"  What  is  there  left  to  eat  when  meat  is  taken 
away  ?  "  inquired  Keimer.  "  Little  or  nothing,  I 
should  think." 

"  I  will  pledge  myself  to  furnish  recipes  for  forty 
palatable  dishes,"  answered  Benjamin,  "  and  not  one 
of  them  shall  smell  of  the  flesh-pots  of  Egypt." 

"  Who  will  prepare  them  ?  I  am  sure  no  woman 
in  this  town  can  do  it." 

"  Each  dish  is  so  simple  that  any  woman  can 
easily  prepare  it,"  added  Benjamin. 

Keimer  finally  accepted  the  proposition.  He  was 
to  become  a  vegetarian,  and  Benjamin  was  to  em 
brace  formally  the  long-beard  doctrine,  and  observe 
the  seventh  day  for  a  Sabbath.  A  woman  was  en 
gaged  to  prepare  their  food  and  bring  it  to  them, 
and  Benjamin  furnished  her  with  a  list  of  forty 


GOING  TO  ENGLAND.  205 

dishes,  "  in  which  there  entered  neither  fish,  flesh, 
nor  fowl."  For  about  three  months  Keimer  ad 
hered  to  this  way  of  living,  though  it  was  very 
trying  to  him  all  the  while.  Benjamin  was  often 
diverted  to  see  his  manifest  longings  for  fowl  and 
flesh,  and  expected  that  he  would  soon  let  him  off 
from  keeping  the  seventh  day  and  advocating  long 
beards.  At  the  end  of  three  months,  Keimer  de 
clared  that  he  could  hold  out  no  longer,  and  the 
agreement  was  broken.  It  was  a  happy  day  for 
him ;  and  to  show  his  gladness,  he  ordered  a  roast 
pig,  and  invited  Benjamin  and  two  ladies  to  dine 
with  him.  But  the  pig  being  set  upon  the  table 
before  his  guests  arrived,  the  temptation  was  so 
great  that  he  could  not  resist,  and  he  devoured  the 
whole  of  it  before  they  came,  thus  proving  that  he 
was  a  greater  pig  than  the  one  he  swallowed. 

It  should  be  remarked  here,  that  for  some  time 
Benjamin  had  not  followed  the  vegetable  diet  which 
he  adopted  in  Boston.  The  circumstances  and  rea 
sons  of  his  leaving  are  thus  given  by  himself :  — 

"  In  my  first  voyage  from  Boston  to  Philadelphia, 
being  becalmed  off  Block  Island,  our  crew  employed 
themselves  in  catching  cod,  and  hauled  up  a  great 
number.  Till  then,  I  had  stuck  to  my  resolution  to 
eat  nothing  that  had  had  life  ;  and  on  this  occasion 
I  considered,  according  to  my  master  Tryon,  the 
taking  every  fish  as  a  kind  of  unprovoked  murder, 
since  none  of  them  had  nor  could  do  us  any  injury 


206  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

that  might  justify  this  massacre.  All  this  seemed 
very  reasonable.  But  I  had  been  formerly  a  great 
lover  of  fish,  and  when  it  came  out  of  the  frying-pan, 
it  smelt  admirably  well.  I  balanced  some  time  be 
tween  principle  and  inclination,  till  recollecting  that, 
when  the  fish  were  opened,  I  saw  smaller  fish  taken 
out  of  their  stomachs  ;  then  thought  I,  i  If  you  eat 
one  another,  I  don't  see  why  we  may  not  eat  you.' 
So  I  dined  upon  cod  very  heartily,  and  have  since 
continued  to  eat  as  other  people  ;  returning  only 
now  and  then  to  a  vegetable  diet.  So  convenient  a 
thing  it  is  to  be  a  reasonable  creature,  since  it  en 
ables  one  to  find  or  make  a  reason  for  everything 
one  has  a  mind  to  do." 

The  time  was  now  approaching  for  the  Annis  to 
sail,  and  Benjamin  began  to  realize  the  trial  of  leav 
ing  his  friends.  A  new  tie  now  bound  him  to  Phila 
delphia.  A  mutual  affection  existed  between  Miss 
Read  and  himself,  and  it  had  ripened  into  sincere 
and  ardent  love.  He  desired  to  consummate  a  for 
mal  engagement  with  her  before  departure,  but  her 
mother  interposed. 

"  Both  of  you  are  too  young,"  said  she,  —  "  only 
eighteen  !  You  cannot  tell  what  changes  may  occur 
before  you  are  old  enough  to  be  married." 

"  But  that  need  not  have  anything  to  do  with 
an  engagement,"  said  Benjamin.  "  We  only  pledge 
ourselves  to  marry  each  other  at  some  future  time." 

"  And  why  do  you  deem  such  a  pledge  neces 
sary  ? "  asked  the  good  mother. 


GOING  TO  ENGLAND.  207 

"  Simply  because  c  a  bird  in  the  band  is  worth  two 
in  the  bush,'  "  replied  Benjamin,  with  his  face  all 
wreathed  with  smiles. 

"  But  I  have  not  quite  satisfied  myself  that  it  is 
best  to  give  up  my  daughter  to  a  printer,"  added 
Mrs.  Reed. 

"  How  so  ?  "  asked  Benjamin,  with  some  anxiety. 

"  Because,"  she  replied,  "  there  are  already  sev 
eral  printing-offices  in  the  country,  and  I  doubt 
whether  another  can  be  siipported." 

"  If  I  cannot  support  her  by  the  printing  busi 
ness,"  answered  Benjamin,  "  then  I  will  do  it  some 
other  way." 

"  I  have  no  doubt  of  your  good  intentions  ;  but 
you  may  not  realize  the  fulfilment  of  all  your  hopes. 
I  think  you  had  better  leave  the  matter  as  it  is 
until  you  return  from  England,  and  see  how  you 
are  prospered." 

The  old  lady  won  the  day,  and  the  young  couple 
agreed  to  proceed  no  further  at  present. 

The  above  reference  to  the  fact  that  only  four  or 
five  printing-offices  existed  in  our  country  at  that 
time,  may  serve  to  exhibit  its  rapid  growth.  For 
in  1840,  there  were  one  thousand  five  hundred  and 
fifty-seven  of  them,  and  now,  probably,  there  are 
twice  that  number. 

"  I  am  going  to  England  with  you,  Benjamin," 
said  Ralph  one  day,  as  they  met.  "  Don't  you  be 
lieve  it?" 


208  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

"  It  is  almost  too  good  news  to  believe,"  replied 
Benjamin.  "  But  I  should  be  glad  of  your  com 
pany,  I  assure  you." 

"  It  is  true,"  continued  Ralph.  "  I  was  not  jest 
ing  when  I  told  you,  the  other  day,  that  I  meant  to 
go  if  I  could." 

"  Then  you  are  really  in  earnest  ?  You  mean  to 
go?" 

"  To  be  sure  I  do.     I  have  fully  decided  to  go." 

Benjamin  did  not  ask  him  what  he  was  going  for ; 
but,  from  some  remarks  he  heard  him  make  pre 
viously,  he  inferred  that  he  was  going  out  to  estab 
lish  a  correspondence,  and  obtain  goods  to  sell  on 
commission.  Nor  did  he  learn  to  the  contrary  until 
after  they  arrived  in  London,  when  Ralph  informed 
him  that  he  did  not  intend  to  return,  —  that  he  had 
experienced  some  trouble  with  his  wife's  relations, 
and  he  was  going  away  to  escape  from  it,  leaving  his 
•wife  and  child  to  be  cared  for  by  her  friends. 

As  the  time  of  their  departure  drew  near,  Benja 
min  called  upon  the  Governor  for  letters  of  intro 
duction  and  credit,  which  he  had  promised,  but  they 
were  not  ready.  He  called  again,  and  they  were 
still  unwritten.  At  last,  just  as  he  was  leaving,  he 
called  at  his  door,  and  his  secretary,  Dr.  Baird,  came 
out,  and  said  :  "  The  Governor  is  engaged  upon  im 
portant  business  now,  but  he  will  be  at  Newcastle 
before  the  Annis  reaches  there,  and  will  deliver  the 
letters  to  you  there." 


GOING  TO  ENGLAND.  209 

As  soon  as  they  reached  Newcastle,  Benjamin  went 
to  the  Governor's  lodgings  for  the  letters,  but  was 
told  by  his  secretary  that  he  was  engaged,  and 
should  be  under  the  necessity  of  sending  the  let 
ters  to  him  on  board  the  ship,  before  she  weighed 
anchor.  Benjamin  was  somewhat  puzzled  by  this 
unexpected  turn  of  affairs,  but  still  he  did  not 
dream  of  deception  or  dishonesty.  He  returned 
to  the  vessel,  and  awaited  her  departure.  Soon 
after  her  canvas  was  flung  to  the  breeze,  he  went 
to  the  captain  and  inquired  for  the  letters. 

"I  understand,"  said  he,  "that  Colonel  French 
brought  letters  on  board  from  the  Governor.  I  sup 
pose  some  of  them  are  directed  to  my  care." 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  captain,  "  Colonel  French 
brought  a  parcel  of  letters  on  board,  and  they 
were  all  put  into  the  bag  with  others,  so  that  I 
cannot  tell  whether  any  of  them  are  for  you  or 
not.  But  you  shall  have  an  opportunity,  before 
we  reach  England,  of  looking  them  over  for  your 
self." 

"  I  thank  you,"  answered  Benjamin ;  "  that  will 
be  all  that  is  necessary;"  and  he  yielded  himself 
up  to  enjoyment  for  the  remainder  of  the  voyage, 
without  the  least  suspicion  of  disappointment  and 
trouble. 

When  they  entered  the  English  Channel,  the  cap 
tain,  true  to  his  promise,  allowed  Benjamin  to  exam 
ine  the  bag  of  letters.  He  found  several  on  which 


210  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

fris  name  was  written,  as  under  his  care,  and  some 
others  he  judged,  from  the  handwriting,  came  from 
the  Governor.  One  of  them  was  addressed  to  Bas- 
kett,  the  King's  printer,  and  another  to  a  stationer, 
and  these  two,  Benjamin  was  confident,  were  for 
him  to  take.  In  all  he  took  seven  or  eight  from  the 
bag. 

They  arrived  in  London  on  the  24th  of  Decem 
ber,  1724,  when  Benjamin  lacked  about  a  month  of 
being  nineteen  years  old.  Soon  after  he  landed,  he 
called  upon  the  stationer  to  whom  one  of  the  letters 
was  directed :  "A  letter,  sir,  from  Governor  Keith, 
of  Pennsylvania,  America !  " 

"  I  don't  know  such  a  person,"  replied  the  sta 
tioner,  at  the  same  time  receiving  the  letter. 

"  0,  this  is  from  Riddlesden  !  "  said  he,  on  open 
ing  it.  "I  have  lately  found  him  to  be  a  complete 
rascal,  and  I  will  have  nothing  to  do  with  him,  nor 
receive  any  letters  from  him ;  "  and  he  handed  back 
the  letter  to  Benjamin,  turned  upon  his  heel,  and 
left  to  wait  upon  a  customer. 

Benjamin  was  astonished  and  mortified.  He  had 
not  the  least  suspicion  that  he  was  bearing  any  other 
than  the  Governor's  letter,  and  he  was  almost  bewil 
dered  for  a  moment.  The  thought  flashed  into  his 
mind  that  the  Governor  had  deceived  him.  In  a 
few  moments  his  thoughts  brought  together  the  acts 
of  the  Governor  in  the  matter,  and  now  he  could 
see  clearly  evidence  of  insincerity  and  duplicity. 


GOING  TO  ENGLAND.  211 

He  immediately  sought  out  Mr.  Denham,  a  mer 
chant,  who  came  over  in  the  Annis  with  him,  and 
gave  him  a  history  of  the  affair. 

"  Governor  Keith  is  a  notorious  deceiver,"  said 
Mr.  Denham.  "I  do  not  think  he  wrote  a  single 
letter  for  you,  nor  intended  to  do  it.  He  has  been 
deceiving  you  from  beginning  to  end." 

"  He  pretended  to  have  many  acquaintances  here," 
added  Benjamin ;  "  to  whom  he  promised  to  give 
me  letters  of  credit,  and  I  supposed  that  they  would 
render  me  valuable  assistance." 

"  Letters  of  credit !  "  exclaimed  Denham.  "  It  is 
a  ludicrous  idea.  How  could  he  write  letters  of 
credit,  when  he  has  no  credit  of  his  own  to  give  ? 
No  one  who  knows  him  has  the  least  confidence  in 
his  character.  There  is  no  dependence  to  be  placed 
upon  him  in  anything.  He  is  entirely  irresponsi 
ble." 

"  What,  then,  shall  I  do  ?  "  asked  Benjamin  with 
evident  concern.  "  Here  I  am  among  strangers 
without  the  means  of  returning,  and  what  shall  I 
do?" 

"  I  advise  you  to  get  employment  in  a  printing- 
office  here  for  the  present.  Among  the  printers 
here  you  will  improve  yourself,  and,  when  you 
return  to  America,  you  will  set  up  to  greater  ad 
vantage." 

There  was  no  alternative  left  for  Benjamin,  but 
to  find  work  where  he  could,  and  make  the  best  of 


212  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

it.  Again  he  had  "  paid  too  dear  for  the  whistle," 
and  must  suffer  for  it.  He  took  lodgings  with 
Ralph  in  Little  Britain,  at  three  shillings  and  six 
pence  a  week,  and  very  soon  obtained  work  at 
Palmer's  famous  printing-house  in  Bartholomew 
Close,  where  he  labored  nearly  a  year.  Ralph  was 
not  so  successful  in  getting  a  situation.  He  made 
application  here  and  there,  but  in  vain ;  and,  after 
several  weeks  of  fruitless  attempts  at  securing  a 
place,  he  decided  to  leave  London,  and  teach  a 
country  school.  Previously,  however,  in  company 
with  Benjamin,  he  spent  much  time  at  plays  and 
public  amusements.  This  was  rather  strange,  since 
neither  of  them  had  been  wont  to  waste  their  time 
and  money  in  this  way ;  and  years  after,  Benjamin 
spoke  of  it  as  a  great  error  of  his  life,  which  he 
deeply  regretted.  But  Ralph's  departure  put  an 
end  to  this  objectionable  pleasure-seeking,  and  Ben 
jamin  returned  to  his  studious  habits  when  out  of 
the  office. 

At  this  time,  the  ability  to  compose  which  he  had 
carefully  nurtured  proved  of  great  assistance  to 
him.  He  was  employed  in  the  printing  of  Wollas- 
ton's  "  Religion  of  Nature,"  when  he  took  excep 
tions  to  some  of  his  reasoning,  and  wrote  a  disser 
tation  thereon,  and  printed  it,  with  the  title,  "A 
DISSERTATION  ON  LIBERTY  AND  NECESSITY,  PLEASURE 
AND  PAIN."  This  pamphlet  fell  into  the  hands  of 
one  Lyons,  a  surgeon,  author  of  a  book  entitled 


GOING  TO  ENGLAND.  213 

"  The  Infallibility  of  Human  Judgment,"  and  he 
was  so  much  pleased  with  it,  that  he  sought  out 
the  author,  and  showed  him  marked  attention.  He 
introduced  him  to  Dr.  Mandeville,  author  of  the 
"  Fable  of  the  Bees,"  and  to  Dr.  Pemberton,  who 
promised  to  take  him  to  see  Sir  Isaac  Newton.  Sir 
Hans  Sloane  invited  him  to  his  house  in  Blooms- 
bury  Square,  and  showed  him  all  his  curiosities. 
In  this  way,  the  small  pamphlet  which  he  wrote  in 
troduced  him  to  distinguished  men,  which  was  of 
much  advantage  to  him. 

While  he  lodged  in  Little  Britain,  he  made  the 
acquaintance  of  a  bookseller,  by  the  name  of  Wil- 
cox,  who  had  a  very  large  collection  of  second 
hand  books.  Benjamin  wanted  to  gain  access  to 
them,  but  he  could  not  command  the  means  to 
purchase  ;  so  he  hit  upon  this  plan :  he  proposed 
to  Wilcox  to  pay  him  a  certain  sum  per  book  for 
as  many  as  he  might  choose  to  take  out,  read,  and 
return,  and  Wilcox  accepted  his  offer.  In  this 
transaction  was  involved  the  principle  of  the  mod 
ern  circulating  library.  It  was  the  first  instance  of 
loaning  books  on  record,  and  for  that  reason  be 
comes  an  interesting  fact.  It  was  another  of  the 
influences  that  served  to  send  him  forward  in  a 
career  of  honor  and  fame. 

When  he  first  entered  the  printing-house  in  Lon 
don,  he  did  press-work.  There  were  fifty  workmen 
in  the  establishment,  and  all  of  them  but  Benjamin 


214  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

were  great  beer-drinkers ;  yet  he  could  lift  more, 
and  endure  more  fatigue,  than  any  of  them.  His 
companion  at  the  press  was  a  notorious  drinker,  and 
consumed  daily  "  a  pint  of  beer  before  breakfast,  a 
pint  at  breakfast  with  his  food,  a  pint  between  break 
fast  and  dinner,  a  pint  at  dinner,  a  pint  in  the  after 
noon  about  six  o'clock,  and  another  when  he  had 
done  his  day's  work,"  —  in  all  six  pints  per  day; 
enough  to  entitle  him  to  a  rank  among  beasts. 
They  had  an  alehouse  boy  always  in  attendance 
upon  the  workmen. 

"  A  detestable  habit,"  said  Benjamin  to  his  fellow- 
pressman,  "  and  a  very  expensive  one,  too." 

"  I  could  n't  endure  the  wear  and  tear  of  this 
hard  work  without  it,"  replied  the  toper. 

"  You  could  accomplish  more  work,  and  perform 
it  better,  by  drinking  nothing  but  cold  water,"  re 
joined  Benjamin.  "  There  is  nothing  like  it  to 
make  one  strong  and  healthy." 

"  Fudge  !  It  may  do  for  a  Water- American  like 
you,  but  Englishmen  would  become  as  weak  as 
babes  without  it." 

"  That  is  false,"  said  Benjamin.  "  With  all  your 
drinking  strong  beer  in  this  establishment,  you  are 
the  weakest  set  of  workmen  I  ever  saw.  I  have  seen 
you  tug  away  to  carry  a  single  form  of  type  up  and 
down  stairs,  when  I  always  carry  two.  Your  beer 
may  be  strong,  but  it  makes  you  weak" 

"You  Americans   are  odd  fellows,  I   confess," 


GOING  TO  ENGLAND.  215 

added  the  beer-swigger ;  "  and  you  stick  to  your 
opinions  like  a  tick." 

"  But  look  here,  my  good  fellow,"  continued  Ben 
jamin.  "  Do  you  not  see  that  the  bodily  strength 
afforded  by  beer  can  be  only  in  proportion  to  the 
grain  or  flour  of  the  barley  dissolved  in  the  water 
of  which  it  is  made  ?  There  must  be  more  flour  in 
a  pennyworth  of  bread,  than  there  is  in  a  whole 
quart  of  beer  ;  therefore,  if  you  eat  that  with  a  pint 
of  water,  it  will  give  you  more  strength  than  two  or 
three  pints  of  beer.  Is  it  not  so  ?  " 

The  man  was  obliged  to  acknowledge  that  it  ap 
peared  to  be  so. 

Benjamin  continued :  "  You  see  that  I  am  sup 
plied  with  a  large  porringer  of  hot  water-gruel, 
sprinkled  with  pepper,  crumbled  with  bread,  and  a 
bit  of  butter  in  it,  for  just  the  price  of  a  pint  of 
beer,  three  halfpence.  Now,  honestly,  is  not  this 
much  better  for  me,  and  for  you,  than  the  same 
amount  of  filthy  beer  ?  " 

Thus  Benjamin  thorned  his  companions  with  ar 
guments  against  the  prevailing  habit  of  beer-drink 
ing.  Gradually  he  acquired  an  influence  over 
many  of  them,  by  precept  and  example,  and  finally 
they  abandoned  their  old  habit,  and  followed  his 
better  way  of  living.  He  wrought  a  thorough  ref 
ormation  in  the  printing-office ;  and  the  fact  shows 
what  one  young  man  can  do  in  a  good  cause,  if 
he  will  but  set  his  face  resolutely  in  that  direc- 


216  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

tion.  Benjamin  possessed  the  firmness,  indepen 
dence,  and  moral  courage  to  carry  out  his  princi 
ples,  — just  the  thing  which  many  youth  of  his  age 
lack,  and  consequently  make  shipwreck  of  their 
hopes. 

The  only  amusement  which  Benjamin  seems  to 
have  enjoyed  as  much  as  he  did  literary  recreation, 
was  swimming.  From  his  boyhood  he  delighted  to 
be  in  the  water,  performing  wonderful  feats,  and 
trying  his  skill  in  various  ways.  At  one  time  he  let 
up  his  kite,  and,  taking  the  string  in  his  hand,  lay 
upon  his  back  on  the  top  of  the  water,  when  the 
kite  drew  him  a  mile  in  a  very  agreeable  manner. 
At  another  time  he  lay  floating  upon  his  back  and 
slept  for  an  hour  by  the  watch.  The  skill  which  he 
had  thus  acquired  in  the  art  of  swimming  won  him 
quite  a  reputation  in  England.  On  several  occa 
sions  he  exhibited  his  remarkable  attainments  of 
this  kind,  and  the  result  was  that  he  was  applied  to 
by  Sir  William  Wyndham  to  teach  his  two  sons  to 
swim.  Some  advised  him  to  open  a  swimming 
school,  and  make  it  his  profession ;  but  he  very 
wisely  concluded  to  leave  the  water  to  the  fish,  and 
confine  himself  to  the  land. 

Benjamin  had  been  in  London  nearly  eighteen 
months,  when  Mr.  Denham,  the  merchant  of  whom 
we  have  spoken,  proposed  to  him  to  return  to  Phila 
delphia,  and  act  in  the  capacity  of  bookkeeper  for 
him,  and  offered  him  fifty  pounds  a  year,  with  the 


GOING   TO  ENGLAND.  217 

promise  to  promote  him,  and  finally  establish  him 
in  business.  Benjamin  had  a  high  respect  for  Mr. 
Denham,  and  the  new  field  of  labor  appeared  to 
him  inviting,  so  that  he  accepted  the  proposition 
with  little  hesitation,  and  made  preparations  to 
leave  England,  quitting  forever,  as  he  thought,  the 
art  of  printing,  which  he  had  thoroughly  learned. 

Forty  years  after  Benjamin  worked  in  Palmer's 
printing-office,  he  visited  England  in  the  service 
of  his  country,  where  he  was  widely  known  as  a 
sagacious  statesman  and  profound  philosopher.  He 
took  occasion  to  visit  the  old  office  where  he  once 
labored  with  the  beer-drinkers,  and,  stepping  up  to 
the  press  on  which  he  worked,  month  after  month, 
he  said :  "  Come,  my  friends,  we  will  drink  to 
gether.  It  is  now  forty  years  since  I  worked, 
like  you,  at  this  press,  as  a  journeyman  printer." 
With  these  words,  he  sent  out  for  a  gallon  of  porter, 
and  they  drank  together,  according  to  the  custom 
of  the  times,  —  a  circumstance  that  shows  he  had 
not  become  proud  and  haughty  in  consequence  of 
sharing  largely  in  worldly  honors.  That  press,  on 
which  he  worked  in  London,  is  now  in  the  Patent- 
Office  at  Washington. 


10 


XXII. 


FAREWELL  TO  ENGLAND, 

ON  THE  23d  day  of  July,  1726,  Benjamin  sailed 
for  Philadelphia,  in  company  with  Mr.  Den- 
ham.  After  a  successful  and  rather  pleasant  voyage 
of  nearly  three  months,  they  reached  Philadelphia, 
much  to  the  satisfaction  of  Benjamin,  who  always 
enjoyed  his  stay  there.  He  was  now  twenty  years 
of  age. 

"  Ah  !  is  it  you,  Benjamin  ?  I  am  glad  to  see  you 
back  again,"  said  Keimer,  as  his  old  journeyman 
made  his  appearance  ;  and  he  shook  his  hand  as 
if  his  heart  was  in  it.  "  I  began  to  think  you  had 
forsaken  us." 

"  Not  yet,"  replied  Benjamin.  "  I  think  too 
much  of  Philadelphia  to  forsake  it  yet." 

"  Want  work  at  your  old  business,  I  suppose," 
added  Keimer.  "  I  have  a  plenty  of  it.  You  see 
I  have  improved  things  since  you  were  here  ;  my 
shop  is  well  supplied  with  stationery,  plenty  of  new 
types,  and  a  good  business  !  " 

"  I  see  that  you  have  made  considerable  advance," 
replied  Benjamin.  "  I  am  glad  that  you  prosper." 


FAREWELL  TO  ENGLAND.          219 

"  And  I  shall  be  glad  to  employ  you,  as  none  of 
ray  men  are  complete  masters  of  the  business." 

"But  I  have  relinquished  my  old  trade,"  an 
swered  Benjamin.  "I  —  " 

"  Given  up  the  printing  business  !  "  interrupted 
Keimcr.  "  Why  is  that  ?  " 

"  I  have  made  arrangements  with  Mr.  Denham 
to  keep  his  books,  and  serve  him  generally  in  the 
capacity  of  clerk." 

"I  am  sorry  for  that,  and  I  think  you  will  be 
eventually.  It  is  a  very  uncertain  business." 

"  Well,  I  have  undertaken  it  for  better  or  worse," 
said  Benjamin,  as  he  rose  to  leave  the  shop. 

As  he  was  going  down  the  street,  who  should  he 
meet  but  Governor  Keith,  who  had  been  removed 
from  his  office,  and  was  now  only  a  common  cit 
izen.  The  ex-Governor  appeared  "both,  surprised 
and  ashamed  at  seeing  him,  and  passed  by  him 
without  speaking. 

Benjamin  was  quite  ashamed  to  meet  Miss  Read, 
since  he  had  not  been  true  to  his  promise.  Though 
he  had  been  absent  eighteen  months,  he  had  written 
her  but  a  single  letter,  an<J  that  was  penned  soon 
after  his  arrival  in  London,  to  inform  her  that  he 
should  not  return  at  present.  His  long  absence 
and  silence  convinced  her  that  he  had  ceased  to 
regard  her  witL  affection  ;  in  consequence  of  which, 
at  the  earnest  persuasion  of  her  parents,  she  mar 
ried  a  potter  by  the  name  of  Rogers.  He  turned 


220  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

out  to  be  a  miserable  fellow,  and  she  lived  with  him 
only  a  short  time.  He  incurred  heavy  debts ;  ran 
away  to  the  West  Indies  to  escape  from  his  credit 
ors,  and  there  died. 

Miss  Read  (she  refused  to  bear  the  name  Rogers) 
was  disconsolate  and  sad,  and  Benjamin  pitied  her 
sincerely,  inasmuch  as  he  considered  himself  to 
blame  in  the  matter.  He  was  not  disposed  to  shield 
himself  from  th^  censure  of  the  family,  had  they 
been  disposed  to  administer  any ;  but  the  old  lady 
took  all  the  blame  upon  herself,  because  she  pre 
vented  an  engagement,  and  persuaded  her  daughter 
to  marry  Rogers. 

These  circumstances  rendered  his  meeting  with 
Miss  Read  less  unpleasant,  so  far  as  his  own  want 
of  fidelity  was  concerned.  His  intimacy  with  the 
family  was  renewed,  and  they  frequently  invited 
him  there  to  tea,  and  often  sought  his  advice  on 
business  of  importance.  » 

Mr.  Denham  opened  a  store  in  Water  Street,  and 
Benjamin  entered  upon  his  new  business  with  high 
hopes.  He  made  rapid  progress  in  acquiring  knowl 
edge  of  traffic,  and  soon  became  expert  in  keeping 
accounts  and  selling  goods.  But  in  February,  1727, 
when  Benjamin  was  twenty-one  years  of  age,  both 
he  and  his  employer  were  prostrated  by  sickness. 
Benjamin's  disease  was  the  pleurisy,  and  his  life 
was  despaired  of,  though  he  unexpectedly  recov 
ered.  Mr.  Denham  lingered  along  for  some  time, 


FAKEWELL  TO  ENGLAND.          221 

and  died.  His  decease  was  the  occasion  of  closing 
the  store  and  throwing  Benjamin  out  of  business. 
It  was  a  sad  disappointment,  but  not  wholly  unlike 
the  previous  checkered  experience  of  his  life.  He 
had  become  used  to  "  ups  and  downs." 

As  a  token  of  his  confidence  and  esteem,  Mr. 
Denham  left  a  small  legacy  to  Benjamin,  —  a  fact 
that  speaks  well  for  the  young  man's  faithfulness. 
And  here  it  should  be  said,  that,  whatever  faults  the 
hero  of  our  story  had,  he  always  served  his  employ 
ers  with  such  ability  and  fidelity  as  won  their  appro 
bation  and  confidence.  Unlike  many  youth,  who 
care  not  for  their  employers'  interests  if  they  but 
receive  their  wages  and  keep  their  places,  he  ever 
did  the  best  he  could  for  those  who  employed  him. 
He  proved  himself  trustworthy  and  efficient ;  and 
here  is  found  one  secret  of  his  success. 

In  his  disappointment,  Benjamin  sought  the  ad 
vice  of  his  brother-in-law,  Captain  Homes,  who  hap 
pened  to  be  in  Philadelphia  at  the  time. 

"  I  advise  you  to  return  to  your  old  business," 
said  he.  "  I  suppose  you  can  readily  get  work  here, 
can  you  not  ?  " 

"  All  I  want,"  Benjamin  answered.  "  Keirner 
was  very  anxious  to  employ  me  when  I  returned 
from  England,  and  I  dare  say  that  he  would  hire 
me  now." 

"  Then  I  would  close  a  bargain  with  him  at  once, 
were  I  hi  your  place.  I  think  you  will  succeed  bet- 


222  THE  PRIXTER-BOY. 

ter  at  your  trade  than  in  any  other  business,  and 
perhaps  the  way  will  soon  be  prepared  for  you  to 
open  a  printing-office  of  your  own." 

This  advice  was  followed  without  delay,  and  Kei- 
mer  was  eager  to  employ  him.  In  the  outset,  he 
offered  him  extra  wages  to  take  the  entire  manage 
ment  of  his  printing-office,  so  that  he  (Keimer) 
might  attend  more  closely  to  his  stationer's  shop. 
The  offer  was  accepted,  and  Benjamin  commenced 
his  duties  immediately.  He  soon  found,  however, 
that  Keimer's  design  in  offering  him  so  large  wages 
was,  that  the  hands  he  already  employed  might  be 
improved  under  his  experience,  when  it  would  not 
be  necessary  for  him  to  hire  so  competent  a  person. 
The  facts  show  us  that  good  workmen  can  command 
employment  and  high  wages,  when  poor  ones  are 
obliged  to  beg  their  bread. 

Among  Keimer's  workmen  was  an  Oxford  stu 
dent,  whose  time  he  had  bought  for  four  years. 
He  was  about  eighteen  years  of  age,  smart  and 
intelligent.  Benjamin  very  naturally  became  in 
terested  in  him,  as  it  was  quite  unusual  to  find  an 
Oxford  scholar  acting  in  the  capacity  of  a  bought 
servant ;  and  he  received  from  him  the  following 
brief  account  of  his  life.  He  "  was  born  in  Glouces 
ter,  educated  at  a  grammar-school,  and  had  been 
distinguished  among  the  scholars  for  some  appar 
ent  superiority  in  performing  his  part  when  they 
exhibited  plays  ;  belonged  to  the  Wits'  Club  there, 


FAREWELL  TO  ENGLAND.          223 

and  had  written  some  pieces  in  prose  and  verse, 
which  were  printed  in  the  Gloucester  newspapers. 
Thence  was  sent  to  Oxford,  where  he  continued 
about  a  year,  but  not  well  satisfied  ;  wishing,  of  all 
things,  to  see  London,  and  become  a  player.  At 
length,  receiving  his  quarterly  allowance  of  fifteen 
guineas,  instead  of  discharging  his  debts,  he  went 
out  of  town,  hid  his  gown  in  a  furze-bush,  and 
walked  to  London ;  where,  having  no  friend  to 
advise  him,  he  fell  into  bad  company,  soon  spent  his 
guineas,  found  no  means  of  being  introduced  among 
the  players,  grew  necessitous,  pawned  his  clothes, 
and  wanted  bread.  Walking  the  street,  very  hun 
gry,  not  knowing  what  to  do  with  himself,  a  crimp's 
bill  was  put  into  his  hand,  offering  immediate  enter 
tainment  and  encouragement  to  such  as  would  bind 
themselves  to  work  in  America.  He  went  directly, 
signed  the  indentures,  was  put  into  the  ship,  and 
came  over ;  never  writing  a  line  to  his  friends,  to 
acquaint  them  what  was  become  of  him." 

Such  a  case  has  several  important  lessons  for  the 
young.  In  the  first  place  it  shows  the  danger  that 
attends  theatrical  performances.  Youth  often  won 
der  that  good  people  object  to  them ;  but  here  they 
may  see  one  reason  of  their  opposition.  It  was  at 
the  school  in  Oxford  "that  he  imbibed  a  love  for  the 
stage.  There  he  participated  in  dramatic  plays, 
which  caused  him  to  run  away,  and  seek  a  residence 
in  London,  where  he  was  ruined.  There  are  him- 


224  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

dreds  of  similar  examples,  and  these  cause  good 
people  to  condemn  theatrical  amusements.  It  is 
said  that  when  Lord  Jeffreys  was  a  youth,  at  the 
College  in  Glasgow,  he  was  instrumental  in  originat 
ing  a  dramatic  performance.  The  play  was  select 
ed,  and  a  room  of  the  College  designated  as  a  fitting 
theatre,  when  the  authorities  interfered,  and  for 
bade  them  to  perform  the  play.  Their  interference 
aroused  the  ire  of  Jeffreys,  who,  in  his  "  Notes  on 
Lectures,"  denounced  their  conduct  as  "  the  mean 
est,  most  illiberal,  and  despicable."  Many  youth 
cherish  similar  feelings  towards  those  who  condemn 
such  performances ;  and,  if  one  of  the  number  shall 
read  these  pages,  we  would  point  him  to  the  sad 
end  of  the  Oxford  student. 

This  case  also  illustrates  the  sad  consequences  of 
keeping  bad  company,  as  well  as  the  perils  of  the 
city.  He  associated  with  the  vicious  in  London, 
and  became  really  a  vagabond  in  consequence. 

As  the  workmen  improved  under  Benjamin's 
supervision,  Keimer  evidently  began  to  think  of 
discharging  him,  or  cutting  down  his  wages.  On 
paying  his  second  quarter's  wages,  he  told  him 
that  he  could  not  continue  to  pay  him  so  much. 
He  became  less  civil,  frequently  found  fault,  and 
plainly  tried  to  make  Benjamin's  stay  uncomforta 
ble,  so  that  he  would  leave.  At  length  a  rare  op 
portunity  offered  for  him  to  make  trouble.  An 
unusual  noise  in  the  street  one  day  caused  Benja- 


FAREWELL  TO  ENGLAND.          225 

min  to  put  his  head  out  of  the  window  to  see  what 
was  the  matter.  Keimer  happened  to  be  in  the 
street,  and  seeing  him,  he  cried  out,  "  Put  your 
head  in  and  attend  to  your  business,"  and  added 
some  reproachful  words  which  all  in  the  street 
heard.  Then,  hastening  up  into  the  office,  he  con 
tinued  his  insulting  language. 

v  Men  who  work  for  me  must  give  better  heed  to 
their  business,"  said  he.  "  If  they  care  more  for 
a  noise  in  the  street  than  for  their  work,  it  is  tune 
they  left." 

"  I  am  ready  to  leave  any  time  you  please,"  re 
torted  Benjamin,  who  was  considerably  nettled  by 
such  treatment.  "  I  am  not  dependent  on  you  for 
a  living,  and  I  shall  not  be  treated  in  this  way  long, 
I  assure  you." 

"That,  indeed!"  exclaimed  Keimer.  "You 
would  not  stay  another  hour  if  it  were  not  for  our 
agreement,  in  accordance  with  which  I  now  warn 
you  that  at  the  end  of  a  quarter's  time  I  shall  hire 
you  no  more." 

"  You  need  not  regret  that  you  cannot  send  me 
away  to-day,"  answered  Benjamin.  "  I  shall  work 
no  longer  for  a  man  who  will  treat  me  thus,"  — 
and,  taking  his  hat,  he  left.  As  he  passed  down,  he 
requested  Meredith,  one  of  the  hands,  to  bring  some 
things  which  he  left  behind  to  his  lodgings. 

In  the  evening  Meredith  went  to  see  Benjamin, 
carrying  the  articles  just  referred  to. 

10*  o 


226  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

"  What  shall  you  do  now  ?  "  Meredith  inquired. 

"  I  shall  return  to  Boston  forthwith." 

"  I  would  n't  do  that.  You  can  do  much  better 
here  than  you  can  there." 

"  What  can  I  do  here  now  ?  " 

"  Set  up  business  for  yourself." 

"  I  have  no  money  to  do  it  with." 

"  My  father  has,"  said  Meredith,  "  and  I  will  go 
into  company  with  you  if  he  will  furnish  the  means. 
I  am  not  acquainted  with  the  business,  and  you 
are  ;  so  I  will  furnish  the  capital,  and  you  shall 
manage  the  concern,  and  we  will  share  the  profits 
equally." 

"  Your  father  will  never  do  it,"  suggested  Benja 
min. 

"  I  am  confident  that  he  will,"  replied  Meredith. 
"  He  has  a  high  opinion  of  you,  and  he  wants  a 
good  opportunity  to  set  me  up.  I  will  ask  him,  at 
any  rate." 

"  I  would  like  such  an  enterprise  myself,"  added 
Benjamin  ;  "  but  can  we  succeed  against  Keimer  ? 
He  will  now  do  all  he  can  to  crush  me." 

"  He  will  be  crushed  himself  before  long,"  an 
swered  Meredith.  "  I  happen  to  know  that  he  is  in 
debt  for  all  the  property  in  his  hands.  He  keeps 
his  shop  miserably,  too,  often  sells  without  profit  in 
order  to  raise  money,  and  trusts  people  without 
keeping  accounts.  He  will  fail  as  surely  as  he 
keeps  on  in  this  way." 


FAREWELL  TO  ENGLAND.          227 

"  I  will  agree  to  your  plan  if  you  can  make  it 
work,"  said  Benjamin.  "  See  your  father  immedi 
ately,  and  let  me  know  the  result." 

Accordingly,  Meredith  saw  his  father,  and  he  was 
ready  to  furnish  the  necessary  capital,  because  of 
his  high  regard  for  Benjamin. 

"  I  am  more  ready  to  do  this,"  said  he  to  Benja 
min,  afterwards,  "  because  of  your  good  influence 
over  my  son.  You  have  prevailed  upon  him  to 
leave  Off  drinking  to  excess,  and  I  hope  he  will  be 
persuaded,  by  your  more  intimate  connection  in 
business,  to  reform  entirely." 

It  was  settled  that  they  should  set  up  business  as 
soon  as  they  could  procure  the  necessary  articles 
from  England. 


XXIII. 

SETTING  UP  BUSINESS, 

A  GREEABLE  TO  the  arrangement  with  Mere- 
-LlL  dith,  Benjamin  made  out  an  inventory  of  arti 
cles,  which  were  immediately  ordered  from  England. 
In  the  mean  time  he  expected  to  find  work  at  Brad 
ford's  printing-office,  but  was  disappointed.  It  was 
only  a  few  days,  however,  before  he  received  a  very 
civil  message  from  Keimer,  in  which  he  said,  "  that 
old  friends  should  not  part  for  a  few  words,  the 
effect  of  sudden  passion,"  and  urged  him  to  return. 
The  fact  was,  he  had  a  prospect  of  being  employed 
to  print  some  paper  money  in  New  Jersey,  which 
would  require  cuts  and  various  types  that  Benjamin 
only  could  supply,  and  therefore  he  wanted  to  re 
engage  him.  Benjamin  was  not  quite  inclined  to 
accept  the  proposition  at  first,  but  Meredith  urged 
him  to  do  it,  on  the  ground  that  he  himself  would 
become  better  acquainted  with  the  business  in  con 
sequence  ;  he  therefore  concluded  to  return. 

It  was  several  months  before  the  new  types  arrived 
from  London,  and  Benjamin  continued  in  Keimer's 
service.  Most  of  the  time  he  spent  with  his  em- 


SETTING  UP   BUSINESS.  229 

ployer  at  Burlington,  executing  the  paper  money, 
and  there  made  many  friends,  among  whom  was 
Judge  Allen,  the  Secretary  of  the  Province,  several 
members  of  the  Assembly,  and  the  Surveyor-Gen 
eral,  all  of  whom  were  of  service  to  him  when  he 
set  up  business  for  himself.  They  were  much 
pleased  with  Benjamin's  intelligence  and  fidelity,  so 
that  they  frequently  invited  him  to  their  houses, 
while  the  ignorance  and  rudeness  of  Keimer  so  dis 
gusted  them,  that  they  took  little  notice  of  him. 

"  You  are  complete  master  of  your  business," 
said  the  Surveyor-General  to  him ;  "  and  success  is 
before  you." 

"I  have  improved  my  opportunities,"  modestly 
replied  Benjamin,  ato  become  as  well  acquainted 
with  my  business  as  I  could.  This  half  way  of 
doing  things  I  do  not  like." 

"  I  commenced  business  in  a  very  humble  way," 
continued  the  Surveyor-General,  "without  expect 
ing  to  ever  possess  such  an  estate  as  I  do  now." 

"  What  was  your  business  ?  " 

"I  wheeled  clay  for  the  brick-makers,  and  had 
not  the  opportunity  of  going  to  school  at  all  in  my 
boyhood.  I  did  not  learn  to  write  until  I  became 
of  age.  I  acquired  my  knowledge  of  surveying 
when  I  carried  a  chain  for  surveyors,  who  were 
pleased  with  my  desire  to  learn  the  business,  and 
assisted  me.  By  constant  industry  and  close  appli 
cation,  with  a  good  deal  of  perseverance,  I  have 


230  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

succeeded  in  reaching  the  place  where  you  now  see 
me." 

"  That  is  all  the  way  any  one  can  work  his  way 
up  to  an  honorable  position,"  said  Benjamin. 

"  True,  very  true,  and  I  am  glad  to  see  that  you 
understand  it.  I  am  confident  that  you  will  work 
this  man  Keimer  out  of  his  business,  and  make  a 
fortune  in  it  at  Philadelphia,  if  you  go  on  as  you 
have  begun." 

This  example  of  industry  and  perseverance  was 
encouraging  to  Benjamin  in  his  circumstances.  It 
was  exactly  suited  to  confirm  him  in  his  very  proper 
views  of  industry  and  fidelity. 

Meredith  and  Benjamin  settled  with  Keimer  and 
left  him  just  before  their  types  arrived,  without  let 
ting  him  into  the  secret  of  their  plans.  The  first  in 
timation  he  had  of  their  intentions  was  the  opening 
of  their  printing-office  near  the  Market. 

Many  people  were  taken  by  surprise,  and  most  of 
them  predicted  a  failure,  since  there  were  two  print 
ers  established  there  already.  Not  long  after  they 
commenced,  an  elderly  man,  whose  name  was  Sam 
uel  Mickle,  happened  to  be  passing  just  as  Benjamin 
came  out  of  his  office. 

"Are  you  the  young  man,"  said  Mickle,  "who 
has  lately  opened  a  new  printing-house  ?  " 

"  I  am,  sir." 

"  I  am  sorry  for  you,"  said  he,  "  for  it  is  an  ex 
pensive  undertaking,  and  you  are  throwing  away 
your  money." 


SETTING  UP   BUSINESS.  231 

«  How  so  ? " 

"  Because  Philadelphia  is  degenerating,  and  half 
the  people  are  now  bankrupt,  or  nearly  so,  and  how 
can  they  support  so  many  printers  ?  " 

"  But  the  appearance  of  Philadelphia,"  replied 
Benjamin,  "  indicates  thrift.  See  how  many  build 
ings  are  going  up,  and  how  rents  are  rising  every 
month.  This  does  not  look  like  going  backward." 

"  These  are  among  the  very  things  that  will  ruin 
us,"  responded  Mickle.  "  They  are  not  evidence  of 
prosperity,  but  of  extravagance,  that  will  bring  dis 
aster  sooner  or  later." 

In  this  strain,  Mickle,  who  was  one  of  those  eccen 
tric  and  unhappy  men  who  always  look  upon  the 
dark  side  of  things,  went  on,  until  Benjamin  really 
began  to  feel  blue.  But  on  the  whole,  he  concluded 
that  the  evidence  of  his  own  senses  was  to  the  con 
trary,  and  so  he  forgot  the  interview  soon.  Mickle 
continued  to  live  there  some  years,  refusing  to  buy  a 
house  because  the  town  was  going  to  ruin,  and  at 
last  he  purchased  one  for  five  times  what  he  could 
have  had  it  for  at  the  time  he  talked  with  Benjamin. 

In  their  printing-office,  Franklin  suspended  the 
following  lines,  which  he  composed  :  — 

"  All  ye  who  come  this  curious  art  to  see, 
To  handle  anything  must  careful  be ; 
Lest  by  a  slight  touch,  ere  you  are  aware, 
You  may  do  mischief  which  you  can't  repair. 
Lo !  this  advice  we  give  to  every  stranger ! 
Look  on  and  welcome,  but  to  touch  there  's  danger." 


232  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

This  singular  notice  attracted  some  attention,  and 
elicited  remarks  from  different  visitors. 

In  order  to  win  the  confidence  of  the  public,  and 
secure  their  patronage,  Benjamin  resolved  in  the 
outset  to  exhibit  to  all  beholders  several  qualities 
which  guarantee  success  ;  namely,  industry,  econ 
omy,  integrity,  and  close  application  to  his  business. 
All  of  them  had  become  habits  with  him,  and  hence 
it  was  easy  for  him  to  conduct  in  this  manner. 

In  respect  to  industry,  he  labored  incessantly. 
Even  some  of  his  hours  that  ought  to  have  been 
devoted  to  sleep  were  spent  in  his  office  at  hard 
work. 

Mention  being  made  of  the  new  printing-house  at 
the  "  Merchants'  Every-night  Club,"  "  It  will  prove 
a  failure,"  said  one. 

"  Of  course  it  will,"  added  another.  "  Two  such 
young  fellows  cannot  get  business  enough  to  support 
them,  with  two  established  printers  here." 

This  was  the  general  opinion.  But  Dr.  Baird, 
who  was  present,  said  :  "  It  will  prove  a  success. 
For  the  industry  of  that  Franklin  is  superior  to  any 
thing  I  ever  saw  of  the  kind.  I  see  him  still  at  work 
when  I  go  home  from  club,  and  he  is  at  work  again 
before  his  neighbors  are  out  of  bed." 

This  remark  was  appreciated  by  the  members, 
and  soon  after  one  of  them  offered  to  supply  the 
young  printers  with  stationery,  if  they  desired  to 
open  a  shop. 


SETTING  UP   BUSINESS.  233 

It  was  his  experience,  doubtless,  that  caused  him, 
years  afterwards,  to  give  the  following  advice  to  a 
"  young  tradesman  " :  — 

"  The  most  trifling  actions  that  affect  a  man's 
credit  are  to  be  regarded.  The  sound  of  your  ham 
mer  at  five  in  the  morning,  or  nine  at  night,  heard 
by  a  creditor,  makes  him  easy  six  months  longer ; 
but  if  he  sees  you  at  a  billiard-table,  or  hears  your 
voice  at  a  tavern,  when  you  should  be  at  work,  he 
sends  for  his  money  the  next  day ;  demands  it,  before 
he  can  receive  it,  in  a  lump." 

He  also  wrote  :  "  He  that  idly  loses  five  shillings' 
worth  of  time  loses  five  shillings,  and  might  as  pru 
dently  throw  five  shillings  into  the  sea." 

One  fine  morning,  after  Meredith  and  Franklin 
opened  a  stationer's  shop  and  bookstore,  a  lounger 
stepped  in,  and,  after  looking  over  the  articles,  in 
quired  of  the  boy  in  attendance  the  price  of  a  certain 
book. 

"  One  dollar,"  was  the  answer.  < 

"  One  dollar,"  said  the  lounger,  "  can't  you  take 
less  than  that  ?  " 

"  No  indeed  ;  one  dollar  is  the  price." 

After  waiting  some  time  he  asked :  "  Is  Mr. 
Franklin  at  home  ?  " 

"  Yes,  he  is  in  the  printing-office." 

"  I  want  to  see  him,"  said  the  lounger. 

The  shop-boy  soon  informed  Franklin  (as  we  will 
henceforth  call  him)  that  a  gentleman  was  waiting 
to  see  him  in  the  shop. 


234  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

"  Mr.  Franklin,  what  is  the  lowest  you  can  take 
for  this  book  ?  "  he  asked,  as  Franklin  came  in.  At 
the  same  time  he  held  up  the  book  at  which  he  had 
been  looking. 

"  One  dollar  and  a  quarter,"  was  the  reply. 

"  One  dollar  and  a  quarter  !  Why,  your  young 
man  asked  but  a  dollar." 

"  True,"  said  Franklin,  "  and  I  could  have  better 
afforded  to  take  a  dollar  then,  than  to  have  been 
taken  out  of  the  office." 

The  lounger  looked  surprised,  and  rather  conclud 
ing  that  Franklin  was  jesting,  he  said,  "  Come,  now, 
tell  me  the  lowest  you  can  take  for  it." 

"  One  dollar  and  a  half." 

"  A  dollar  and  a  half  ?  Why,  you  offered  it  your 
self  for  one  dollar  and  a  quarter." 

"  Yes,"  answered  Franklin,  "  and  I  had  better 
have  taken  that  price  then,  than  a  dollar  and  a  half 
now." 

The  lounger  paid  the  price,  and  went  out  of  the 
shop,  feeling  the  severity  of  the  rebuke.  Such  was 
the  value  he  attached  to  his  time. 

Franklin  always  ascribed  his  industrious  habits  to 
the  frequent  counsels  of  his  father  on  the  subject, 
which  were  generally  closed  by  repeating  the  text 
of  Scripture,  "  Seest  thou  a  man  diligent  in  his 
calling,  he  shall  stand  before  kings,  he  shall  not 
stand  before  mean  men,"  -  a  prophecy  that  was 
singularly  fulfilled  in  his  own  case,  as  we  shall 


SETTING  UP   BUSINESS.  235 

see  hereafter,  for  he  had  the  honor  of  standing  before 
five  kings,  and  even  dined  with  the  King  of  Den 
mark. 

His  economy  was  equal  to  his  industry.  He  ar 
rayed  himself  in  the  plainest  manner,  although  he 
aimed  to  look  neat  and  tidy.  His  board  was  simple 
and  cheap,  and  everything  about  Ms  business  was 
graduated  on  the  most  economical  principles.  In 
order  to  save  expense,  and  at  the  same  time  show 
the  public  that  he  was  not  proud,  and  above  his 
business,  he  wheeled  home  the  paper  which  he 
bought.  This  single  act  had  its  influence  in  gain 
ing  the  public  confidence.  For  when  a  young  man 
gets  above  his  business,  he  is  quite  sure  to  have  a 
fall.  Since  Franklin's  day,  in  the  city  of  Richmond, 
a  young  man  went  to  the  market  to  purchase  a 
turkey.  He  looked  around  for  some  one  to  carry 
it  home  for  him,  being  too  proud  to  do  it  himself, 
and  finding  no  one,  he  began  to  fret  and  swear,  much 
to  the  annoyance  of  by-standers.  A  gentleman 
stepped  up  to  him  and  said,  "  That  is  in  my  way, 
and  I  will  take  your  turkey  home  for  you."  When 
they  came  to  the  house,  the  young  fop  asked, 
"  What  shall  I  pay  you  ?  "  "  0,  nothing  at  all," 
replied  the  gentleman,  "  it  was  all  in  the  way,  and 
it  was  no  trouble  to  me."  As  he  passed  on,  the 
young  man  turned  to  a  person  near  by,  and  in 
quired,  "  Who  is  that  polite  old  gentleman  who 
brought  home  my  turkey  for  me  ?  "  "  0,"  replied 


236  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

he,  "  that  was  Judge  Marshall,  Chief  Justice  of  the 
United  States."  "  Why  did  he  bring  home  my 
turkey  ?  "  "  He  did  it  to  give  you  a  rebuke,  and 
teach  you  to  attend  to  your  own  business,"  was  the 
answer. 

How  contemptible  does  such  a  proud  character 
appear  in  contrast  with  Franklin  !  It  is  not  strange 
that  the  public  withhold  their  confidence  from  such 
a  fop,  and  bestow  it  upon  the  opposite  class.  Judge 
Marshall  was  a  great  man,  and  great  men  never  get 
above  their  business.  Franklin  became  a  great 
man,  and  one  reason  of  it  was,  that  he  never  be 
came  too  proud  to  wait  upon  himself. 

After  he  married  Miss  Read,  and  commenced 
housekeeping,  he  still  adhered  to  the  same  principle 
of  economy.  Instead  of  doing  as  many  young  men 
do,  at  this  era  of  life,  live  beyond  their  income,  he 
continued  frugal.  He  said  of  himself  and  wife: 
"  We  kept  no  idle  servants,  our  table  was  plain  and 
simple,  our  furniture  of  the  cheapest.  For  instance, 
my  breakfast  was  for  a  long  time  bread  and  milk 
(no  tea),  and  I  ate  it  out  of  a  twopenny  earthen 
porringer,  with  a  pewter  spoon."  Thus  he  reduced 
to  practice  the  couplet  which  he  wrote :  — 

"  Vessels  large  may  venture  more, 
But  little  boats  should  keep  near  shore." 

And  qualified  himself  to  pen  such  maxims  as  the 
following :  — 

"  It  is  easier  to  suppress  the  first  desire,  than  to 
satisfy  all  that  follow  it." 


SETTING  UP  BUSINESS.  237 

"  It  is  as  truly  folly  for  the  poor  to  ape  the  rich, 
as  for  the  frog  to  swell  in  order  to  equal  the  ox." 

"  Pride  breakfasts  with  plenty,  dines  with  poverty, 
and  sups  with  infamy." 

His  integrity  in  transacting  business  was  no  less 
marked.  Strict  honesty  characterized  all  his  deal 
ings  with  men.  An  exalted  idea  of  justice  per 
vaded  his  soul.  His  word  of  honor  was  as  good  as 
his  note  of  hand.  Even  his  disposition  to  castigate 
and  censure  in  his  writings,  so  manifest  in  Boston 
at  seventeen  years  of  age,  and  which  his  father 
rebuked,  was  overcome.  After  he  set  up  a  paper  in 
Philadelphia,  a  gentleman  handed  him  an  article  for 
its  columns. 

"  I  am  very  busy  now,"  said  Franklin,  "  and  you 
will  confer  a  favor  by  leaving  it  for  my  perusal  at 
my  leisure." 

"  That  I  will  do,"  replied  the  writer,  "  and  call 
again  to-morrow." 

The  next  day  the  author  called.  "  What  is  your 
opinion  of  my  article  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Why,  sir,  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  I  cannot  pub 
lish  it,"  answered  Franklin. 

"  Why  not  ?     What  is  the  matter  with  it  ?  " 

"  It  is  highly  scurrilous  and  defamatory,"  replied 
Franklin.  "  But  being  at  a  loss,  on  account  of  my 
poverty,  whether  to  reject  it  or  not,  I  thought  I 
would  put  it  to  this  issue.  At  night,  when  my 
work  was  done,  I  bought  a  twopenny  loaf,  on  which 


238  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

I  supped  heartily,  and  then,  wrapping  myself  in  my 
great  coat,  slept  very  soundly  011  the  floor  until 
morning,  when  another  loaf  and  mug  of  water 
afforded  a  pleasant  breakfast.  Now,  sir,  since  I  can 
live  very  comfortably  in  this  manner,  why  should  I 
prostitute  my  press  to  personal  hatred  or  party  pas 
sion  for  a  more  luxurious  living  ?  " 

Some  writer  has  said  that  this  incident  of  Frank 
lin's  early  life  is  akin  to  Socrates's  reply  to  King  Ar- 
chelaus,  who  pressed  him  to  give  up  preaching  in 
the  dirty  streets  of  Athens,  and  come  and  live  with 
him  in  his  costly  palace  :  "  Meal,  please  your  Maj 
esty,  is  a  halfpenny  a  peck  at  Athens,  and  water  1 
get  for  nothing." 

Their  business  prospered  finely  ;  but  Meredith's 
intemperate  habits  were  so  strong,  that  he  was  fre 
quently  seen  intoxicated  in  the  streets,  which  oc 
casioned  much  gossip  about  town  concerning  the 
prospects  of  their  success.  To  add  to  their  embar 
rassment,  Meredith's  father  was  unable  to  meet  the 
last  payment  of  a  hundred  pounds  upon  the  print 
ing-house,  and  they  were  sued.  But  William  Cole- 
man  and  Robert  Grace,  two  of  Franklin's  boon 
companions,  came  to  his  assistance. 

"  We  will  loan  you  the  means  to  take  the  busi 
ness  into  your  own  hands,"  said  Coleman.  "It  is 
much  to  your  discredit  to  be  connected  with  Mer 
edith,  who  is  seen  reeling  through  the  streets  so 
often." 


SETTING  UP   BUSINESS.  239 

"  But  I  cannot  honorably  propose  a  dissolution 
of  partnership,"  replied  Franklin,  "while  there  is 
any  prospect  that  the  Merediths  will  fulfil  their  part 
of  the  contract,  because  I  feel  myself  under  great 
obligations  for  what  they  have  done." 

"  They  will  not  be  able  to  fulfil  the  contract," 
said  Grace  ;  "  that  is  out  of  the  question." 

"  That  is  my  opinion,"  responded  Franklin  ; 
"  still,  I  must  wait  and  see  what  they  do.  If  they 
fail  to  meet  their  obligations,  then  I  shall  feel  at 
liberty  to  act  otherwise." 

The  matter  was  left  here  for  some  weeks,  when 
Franklin  said  to  Meredith,  meaning  to  sound  him 
on  the  matter  of  dissolving  the  partnership  :  "  Per 
haps  your  father  is  dissatisfied  with  the  part  you 
have  undertaken  in  this  affair  of  ours,  and  is  un 
willing  to  advance  for  you  and  I  what  he  would  for 
you  alone.  If  that  is  the  case,  tell  me,  and  I  will 
resign  the  whole  to  you,  and  go  about  my  business." 

"  No,"  he  answered,  "  my  father  has  really  been 
disappointed,  and  is  really  unable  ;  and  I  am  un 
willing  to  distress  him  further.  I  see  this  is  a  busi 
ness  I  am  unfit  for.  I  was  bred  a  farmer ;  and  it 
was  folly  in  me  to  come  to  town,  and  put  myself, 
at  thirty  years  of  age,  an  apprentice  to  learn  a  new 
trade.  Many  of  our  Welsh  people  (he  was  a  Welsh 
man)  are  going  to  settle  in  North  Carolina,  where 
land  is  cheap.  I  am  inclined  to  go  with  them,  and 
follow  my  old  employment ;  you  may  find  friends 


240  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

to  assist  yon.  If  you  will  take  the  debts  of  the  com 
pany  upon  you,  return  to  my  father  the  hundred 
pounds  he  has  advanced,  pay  my  little  personal 
debts,  and  give  me  thirty  pounds  and  a  new  sad 
dle,  I  will  relinquish  the  partnership,  and  leave  the 
whole  in  your  hands." 

Franklin  accepted  this  proposition,  and,  with  the 
aid  of  his  two  friends,  was  soon  established  in  busi 
ness  alone.  His  patronage  increased  rapidly,  and 
he  was  able  to  pay  off  his  debts.  In  a  very  short 
time  he  commanded  the  chief  printing  business  of 
the  town,  and  Keimer  sold  out,  and  removed  to 
Barbadoes.  The  Pennsylvania  Gazette,  which  he 
commenced  printing  before  Meredith  left  him,  won 
the  public  favor,  and  became  a  source  of  profit  to 
him.  As  an  example  of  his  resolution  and  firm 
ness,  and  his  economy  and  prudence,  it  is  said  that 
certain  subscribers  to  his  paper  were  incensed  at 
an  article  that  appeared  in  its  columns,  and  they 
threatened  to  "  stop  their  patronage  ;  "  whereupon 
Franklin  invited  them  to  dine  with  him,  and,  hav 
ing  set  before  them  a  coarse  meal  mixture,  from 
which  his  guests  drew  back,  he  remarked :  "  Gen 
tlemen,  a  man  who  can  subsist  on  sawdust  pudding" 
need  call  no  man  patron" 

Here,  in  early  life,  our  hero  laid  the  foundation 
of  his  fortune  ;  and  the  reader  need  not  be  at  a  loss 
to  discover  the  secret  of  his  success.  He  made  him 
self  by  the  sterling  elements  of  character  which  he 
cultivated. 


XXIV. 

THE  JUNTO, 

SOON  AFTER  Franklin  returned  from  England, 
he  was  instrumental  in  forming  his  literary  as 
sociates  into  a  club  for  mutual  improvement,  called 
the  "  JUNTO,"  which  met  every  Friday  evening.  This 
club  continued  nearly  forty  years,  and  Franklin  said 
of  it,  "  It  was  the  best  school  of  philosophy,  morality, 
and  politics,  that  then  existed  in  the  Province  ;  for 
our  queries,  which  were  read  the  week  preceding 
their  discussion,  put  us  upon  reading  with  attention 
on  the  several  subjects,  that  we  might  speak  more 
to  the  purpose  ;  and  here,  too,  we  acquired  better 
habits  of  conversation,  everything  being  studied  in 
our  rules  which  might  prevent  our  disgusting  each 
other." 

"  I  have  a  proposition  to  submit,"  said  Franklin, 
at  one  of  their  meetings,  "  and  it  is  this.  We 
frequently  have  occasion  to  refer  to  our  books,  in 
our  discussions,  and  I  propose  that  we  bring  our 
books  together  in  this  room,  and  form  a  library ; 
each  having  the  privilege  of  using  the  books  of 
the  other." 

11  p 


242  THE    PKINTER-BOY. 

"I  like  the  plan  much,"  said  Parsons,  one  of 
the  members.  "  Nobody  but  Franklin  would  have 
thought  of  it." 

"  I  think  that  every  member  must  subscribe  to 
this  measure,"  said  Coleman.  "  I  hope  it  will  bo 
done  at  once." 

And  thus  it  went  round  the  room,  each  one  ex 
pressing  his  approval  of  the  plan.  The  consequence 
was,  that  one  end  of  the  room  was  filled  with  vol 
umes  ;  and  the  plan  proved  profitable  to  all. 

At  that  time,  books  were  very  scarce.  "  There 
was  not  a  good  bookseller's  shop  in  any  of  the  Col 
onies  to  the  southward  of  Boston."  The  readers 
of  Pennsylvania  usually  sent  to  England  for  their 
books,  which  was  both  troublesome  and  expensive. 

The  members  of  the  "  JUNTO"  derived  so  mucli 
benefit  from  the  plan  of  bringing  their  books  to 
gether,  that  Franklin  conceived  the  idea  of  estab 
lishing  a  library,  and  formed  his  plan,  which  was 
successful.  He  found  fifty  persons  in  town,  mostly 
young  tradesmen,  who  were  willing  to  pay  down 
forty  shillings  each,  and  ten  shillings  per  annum; 
and  with  these  the  library  was  commenced.  This 
was  the  first  library  ever  established  in  this  coun 
try,  and  it  now  numbers  more  than  sixty  thousand 
volumes.  Since  that  day  libraries  have  multiplied 
rapidly. 

The  following  are  some  of  the  questions  for  the 
"  JUNTO,"  and  they  show  that  it  was  really  a  thor 
ough  and  valuable  organization. 


THE  JUNTO.  243 

"  Have  you  met  with  anything,  in  the  author  you 
last  read,  remarkable,  or  suitable  to  be  communi 
cated  to  the  Junto  ?  particularly  in  history,  moral 
ity,  poetry,  physics,  travels,  mechanic  arts,  or  other 
parts  of  knowledge." 

"Hath  any  citizen  failed  in  business,  and  what 
have  you  heard  of  the  cause  ?  " 

"  Have  you  lately  heard  of  any  citizen's  thriving 
well,  and  by  what  means  ?  " 

"  Do  you  know  of  a  fellow-citizen  who  has  lately 
done  a  worthy  action,  deserving  praise  and  imita 
tion  ;  or  who  has  lately  committed  an  error,  proper 
for  us  to  be  warned  against  and  avoid  ?  " 

"  What  unhappy  effects  of  intemperance  have 
you  lately  observed  or  heard  ?  —  of  imprudence  ?  — 
of  passion  ?  —  or  of  any  other  vice  or  folly  ? 

"  What  happy  effects  of  temperance  ?  —  of  pru 
dence  ?  —  of  moderation  ?  —  or  of  any  other  vir 
tue  ?  " 

"  Do  you  think  of  anything  at  present  in  which 
the  Junto  may  be  serviceable  to  mankind,  to  their 
country,  to  their  friends,  or  to  themselves  ?  " 

"Hath  any  deserving  stranger  arrived  in  town 
since  last  meeting,  that  you  have  heard  of  ?  —  and 
what  have  you  heard  or  observed  of  his  character 
or  merits  ?  —  and  whether,  think  you,  it  lies  in  the 
power  of  the  Junto  to  oblige  him,  or  encourage 
him  as  he  deserves  ?  " 

"  Do  you  know  of  any  deserving  young  beginner 


244  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

lately  set  up,  whom  it  lies  in  the  power  of  the  Junto 
any  way  to  encourage  ?  " 

"  Have  you  lately  observed  any  defect  in  the  laws 
of  your  country,  of  which  it  would  be  proper  to 
move  the  Legislature  for  an  amendment  ?  or  do  you 
know  of  any  beneficial  law  that  is  wanting  ?  " 

"  Is  there  any  man  whose  friendship  you  want, 
and  which  the  Junto,  or  any  of  them,  can  procure 
for  you  ?  " 

This  is  a  sample  of  the  questions  asked  at  their 
meetings,  and  answered.  It  is  not  difficult  to  see 
the  mind  of  Franklin  in  these  inquiries,  and  many 
of  them  were  evidently  suggested  by  his  own  expe 
rience. 

Some  of  the  questions  discussed  by  the  members 
of  the  Junto  were  as  follows  :  — 

"  Is  sound  an  entity  or  body  ?  " 

"  How  may  the  phenomena  of  vapors  be  ex 
plained  ?  " 

"  Can  any  one  particular  form  of  government  suit 
all  mankind  ?  " 

"  Is  the  emission  of  paper  money  safe  ?  " 

"  How  may  smoky  chimneys  be  best  cured  ?  " 

"  Which  is  least  criminal,  —  a  bad  action  joined 
with  a  good  intention,  or  a  good  action  with  a  bad 
intention  ?  " 

There  have  been  improvements  in  almost  every 
thing  in  modern  times,  but  we  doubt  if  there  has 
been  much  improvement  upon  the  "  JUNTO  "  in 


TEE  JUNTO.  245 

literary  organizations  for  the  young.  It  is  not  sur 
prising,  that,  of  the  original  twelve  members  (the 
number  was  limited  to  twelve),  two  became  sur 
veyors-general  ;  one  the  inventor  of  a  quadrant  ; 
one  a  distinguished  mechanic  and  influential  man ; 
and  one  "  a  merchant  of  great  note  and  a  provin 
cial  judge  ;  "  and  all  but  one  or  two,  respectable 
and  honored  men. 

At  this  time,  Franklin  had  commenced  the  study 
of  the  languages,  employing  only  such  leisure  mo 
ments  as  he  had  to  master  them.  It  was  a  great 
undertaking,  but  his  application  and  perseverance 
were  equal  to  the  task.  He  began  with  French, 
and  was  soon  able  to  read  books  in  that  language. 
Then  he  took  Italian.  A  friend,  who  was  studying 
it  also,  tempted  him  to  play  chess.  He  played  a 
little,  and  finding  that  it  consumed  time,  he  refused 
to  play  any  more,  unless  on  the  condition  that  "  the 
victor  in  every  game  should  have  a  right  to  impose 
a  task,  either  of  parts  of  the  grammar  to  be  got  by 
heart,  or  in  translations,  which  tasks  the  vanquished 
was  to  perform  upon  honor  before  the  next  meet 
ing."  In  this  way,  he  learned  the  Italian  language. 
Subsequently  he  acquired  sufficient  knowledge  of 
Spanish  to  enable  him  to  read  books  in  that  tongue. 
He  studied  Latin  a  year  in  Boston,  before  he  was 
ten  years  old,  but  since  that  time  he  had  neglected 
it.  His  acquaintance  now  with  other  languages 
revived  his  taste  for  the  Latin,  however,  so  that  he 
mastered  that. 


246  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

Surely  here  is  literary  work  enough  for  a  youth 
who  is  earning  a  livelihood  by  hard  labor,  having 
only  snatches  of  time  to  devote  to  reading  and 
study.  There  is  no  work  of  his  whole  life  that  is 
more  replete  with  interest  than  this  ;  for  it  shows 
that  he  possessed  indomitable  energy  and  force  of 
character,  together  with  other  valuable  traits.  He 
proved  that  it  was  possible  for  him  to  be  a  scholar 
while  he  was  a  printer. 

The  "  Junto "  appears  to  have  been  copied  in 
England,  half  a  century  after  this  period.  When 
the  celebrated  Canning  was  in  his  youth,  being  edu 
cated  at  Oxford,  a  debating  society  was  organized, 
limited  to  the  number  of  six,  who  met  every  Thurs 
day  evening  at  the  rooms  of  the  members.  At 
each  meeting,  before  they  separated,  the  subject  for 
the  next  meeting  was  voted  and  recorded.  Here 
Canning  and  Jenkinson  (who  became  Earl  of  Liver 
pool)  made  their  first  speeches,  and  here  they 
received  impulses  that  helped  them  on  to  fame. 

Franklin  began  to  think  more  of  religion,  and  to 
raise  some  queries  respecting  his  former  doubts, 
soon  after  he  came  back  from  England.  The  two 
young  men  whose  religious  sentiments  he  corrupted 
and  unsettled  turned  out  badly,  and  cheated  him 
out  of  quite  a  sum  of  money,  and  this  led  him  to 
inquire  if  it  was  not  because  they  ignored  religious 
principle.  He  witnessed  other  conduct  among  those 
who  talked  lightly  of  religion,  which  caused  him  to 


THE  JUNTO.  247 

inquire,  whether,  after  all,  his  parents  were  not  in 
the  right.  He  stayed  away  from  meeting,  and  de 
voted  the  Sabbath  to  study,  which  had  a  very  bad 
look.  Yet,  he  said,  "  I  never  was  without  some 
religious  principle.  I  never  doubted  the  existence 
of  a  Deity  ;  that  he  made  the  world  and  governed  it 
by  his  providence  ;  that  the  most  acceptable  service 
of  God  was  the  doing  good  to  man  ;  that  our  souls 
are  immortal ;  and  that  all  crimes  will  be  punished, 
and  virtue  rewarded,  either  here  or  hereafter." 
He  also  subscribed  something  for  the  support  of  the 
only  Presbyterian  meeting  in  Philadelphia,  and 
advocated  the  importance  of  sustaining  public  wor 
ship. 

The  minister  called  upon  him,  and  counselled 
him  to  attend  meeting,  just  when  he  was  beginning 
to  think  better  of  it,  and  it  had  the  effect  to  bring 
him  out  occasionally.  Once  he  went  five  Sabbaths 
in  succession.  But  the  preacher  was  dull  and  un 
interesting,  so  that  Franklin  was  not  well  pleased ; 
still  he  continued  to  attend  occasionally,  until,  one 
Sabbath,  the  preacher  took  the  following  text : 
"  Finally,  brethren,  whatsoever  things  are  true, 
honest,  just,  pure,  lovely,  or  of  good  report,  if  there 
be  any  virtue,  or  any  praise,  think  on  these  things." 
The  minister  was  usually  doctrinal  in  his  style  of 
preaching,  but  now  Franklin  thought  he  would 
have  something  practical.  Consequently  he  was 
sadly  disappointed  when  he  found  that  the  discourse 


248  THE  PRINTEK-BOY. 

embraced  only  the  following  points:  —  1.  Keeping 
holy  the  Sabbath-day.  2.  Being  diligent  in  read 
ing  the  Scriptures.  3.  Attending  duly  public  wor 
ship.  4.  Partaking  of  the  Sacrament.  5.  Paying 
a  due  respect  to  God's  ministers.  Franklin  thought 
that  these  subjects,  though  very  good,  did  not  be 
long  to  such  a  text,  and  he  was  so  dissatisfied  with 
the  sermon,  that  he  ceased  going  to  meeting. 

Conscience,  however,  did  not  slumber.  He  saw 
and  felt  that  he  was  wrong,  and,  in  order  to  make 
himself  better,  he  began  to  lead  a  self-righteous  life. 
He  imposed  religious  duties  upon  himself.  He  re 
turned  to  the  use  of  a  form  of  prayer  which  he  pre 
pared  some  time  before,  when  his  thoughts  were 
dwelling  upon  religious  things.  In  that  prayer, 
under  the  head  of  "  Thanks,"  occurs  the  follow 
ing:— 

"  For  the  common  benefits  of  air  and  light,  for 
useful  fire  and  delicious  water,  —  Good  God,  I 
thank  Thee ! " 

"  For  knowledge  and  literature,  and  every  useful 
art ;  for  my  friends  and  their  prosperity,  and  for 
the  fewness  of  my  enemies,  —  Good  God,  I  thank 
Thee  !  " 

"  For  all  thy  innumerable  benefits  ;  for  life,  and 
reason,  and  the  use  of  speech ;  for  health,  and  joy, 
and  every  pleasant  hour,  —  My  good  God,  I  thank 
Thee ! " 

He  made  a  little  book,  in  which  he  wrote  down 


THE  JUNTO.  249 

certain  virtues  that  he  ought  to  cultivate,  and  pre 
pared  a  table  for  the  same.  The  following  were 
the  virtues :  — 

"  1.  Temperance. — Eat  not  to  dulness  ;  drink 
not  to  elevation. 

"  2.  Silence.  —  Speak  not  but  what  may  benefit 
others  or  yourself;  avoid  trifling  conversation. 

"  3.  Order.  —  Let  all  your  things  have  their 
places ;  let  each  part  of  your  business  have  its 
time. 

"  4.  Resolution.  —  Resolve  to  perform  what  you 
ought ;  perform  without  fail  what  you  resolve. 

"5.  Frugality.  —  Make  no  expense  but  to  do 
good  to  others  or  yourself;  that  is,  waste  nothing. 

"  6.  Industry.  —  Lose  no  time  ;  be  always  em 
ployed  in  something  useful ;  cut  off  all  unneces 
sary  actions. 

"  7.  Sincerity.  —  Use  no  hurtful  deceit ;  think 
innocently  and  justly ;  and,  if  you  speak,  speak 
accordingly. 

"  8.  Justice.  —  "Wrong  none  by  doing  injuries, 
or  omitting  the  benefits  that  are  your  duty. 

"9.  Moderation.  —  Avoid  extremes  ;  forbear  re 
senting  injuries  so  much   as  you  think  they  de 
serve. 

"  10.  Cleanliness.  —  Tolerate  no  uncleanliness 
in  body,  clothes,  or  habitation. 

"  11.  Tranquillity.  —  Be  not  disturbed  at  trifles, 
or  at  accidents,  common  or  unavoidable. 
11* 


250  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

"12.  Chastity. 

"13.  Humility. — Imitate  Jesus  and  Socrates." 
These  are  very  good  so  far  as  they  go,  and  they 
show  that  he  studied  to  form  a  high  character, — 
that  he  earnestly  desired  to  be  true  to  himself 
and  his  fellow-men.  A  youth  who  will  take  such 
a  stand  for  virtue  is  not  likely  to  fail  of  securing 
the  public  confidence.  It  is  the  foreshadowing  of 
his  success. 


XXV. 

CONCLUSION. 

WE  HA  YE  followed  the  subject  of  this  volume 
from  the  time  he  paid  too  dear  for  his  whis 
tle,  to  the  period  when  he  was  well  established  in 
business.  We  have  seen  what  his  character  was  as 
a  PRINTER-BOY,  and  hence  his  promise  of  success. 
He  was  not  perfect  by  any  means ;  on  the  other 
hand,  he  had  marked  failings.  Yet,  underneath 
the  whole,  we  have  discovered  certain  qualities  that 
are  indispensable  to  eminence  in  one's  vocation. 
And  now  it  remains  to  see,  briefly,  whether  the 
principle  we  advocate  was  true  in  his  case,  namely, 
"  that  the  boy  is  father  of  the  man."  To  do  this, 
we  shall  pass  over  a  series  of  years,  and  take  a  suc 
cinct  view  of  his  position  and  influence  in  middle 
and  advanced  life. 

It  should  be  recorded  first,  however,  that  the  diffi 
culty  between  himself  and  his  brother  James  was 
adjusted,  ten  years  after  his  first  visit  to  Boston. 
James  had  removed  and  settled  in  Newport,  where 
he  was  fast  declining  in  health,  and  Benjamin  went 
thither  to  see  him.  Their  past  differences  were  for- 


252  THE  PKINTER-BOY. 

gotten,  and  their  interview  was  signalized  by  mutual 
forgiveness.  It  was  then  that  Benjamin  promised 
to  take  his  brother's  little  son,  ten  years  old,  after 
the  father  was  no  more,  and  bring  him  up  to  the 
printing  business.  This  pledge  he  fulfilled,  doing 
even  more  for  the  lad  than  he  promised,  for  he  sent 
him  to  school  two  or  three  years  before  he  took  him 
into  the  office,  and  finally  he  established  him  in  busi 
ness.  This,  certainly,  was  a  happy  termination  of  a 
quarrel  that  was  creditable  to  neither  party.  The 
result  was  decisive  evidence  that  both  parties  de 
plored  their  conduct  towards  each  other. 

While  he  was  yet  a  young  man,  he  was  promoted 
to  different  posts  of  distinction.  He  filled  various 
offices  in  Philadelphia,  and  served  the  State  of  Penn 
sylvania  in  several  public  ways,  in  all  of  which  he 
did  himself  honor.  He  devoted  a  portion  of  his 
tune  to  philosophical  studies,  in  which  he  earned  a 
world-wide  fame.  His  mind  was  ever  busy  in  pro 
jects  to  benefit  society,  and  no  work  was  too  humble 
for  him  to  do  for  the  good  of  others.  At  one  time 
he  is  found  inventing  a  stove  for  domestic  use,  called 
afterward  the  Franklin  stove,  with  which  Governor 
Thomas  was  so  well  pleased,  that  he  offered  him 
a  patent  for  the  sole  vending  of  them  for  a  series 
of  years ;  but  Franklin  refused  it,  on  the  ground, 
"  that,  as  we  enjoy  great  advantages  from  the  inven 
tions  of  others,  we  should  be  glad  of  an  opportunity 
to  serve  others  by  any  invention  of  ours ;  and  this  we 


CONCLUSION.  253 

should  do  freely  and  generously"  This  was  an 
other  instance  of  his  remarkable  generosity,  and  it 
reminds  us  of  that  incident  of  his  life  in  France, 
when  an  English  clergyman  asked  him  for  pecuni 
ary  assistance.  He  gave  him  liberally,  remarking, 
"  Some  time  or  other  you  may  have  an  opportunity 
of  assisting  with  an  equal  sum  a  stranger  who  has 
equal  need  of  it.  Do  so.  By  that  means  you  may 
discharge  any  obligation  you  may  suppose  yourself 
under  to  me.  Enjoin  him  to  do  the  same  on  occa 
sion.  By  pursuing  such  a  practice,  much  good  may 
be  done  with  little  money.  Let  kind  offices  go 
round.  Mankind  are  all  of  a  family." 

At  another  time  he  is  engaged  in  improving  the 
lamps  that  light  the  city,  and  devising  ways  of  clean 
ing  the  streets.  Then,  again,  he  is  originating  a 
system  of  volunteer  militia  for  the  defence  of  his 
country.  Extinguishing  fires,  also,  is  a  subject  that 
commands  his  thoughts,  and  he  organized  the  first 
fire  company  in  the  land.  Again,  the  education  of 
youth  demands  his  time,  and  he  labors  to  introduce 
a  system  of  schools,  and  finally  founds  a  University. 
Thus  the  humblest  acts  of  a  good  citizen  were  per 
formed  in  connection  with  the  noblest  deeds  of  the 
philosopher  and  statesman. 

The  following  is  a  brief  synopsis  of  the  offices  he 
filled,  and  the  honors  he  won :  — 

HE  WAS  LEGISLATOR  FOR  PENNSYLVANIA  IN  1732, 
WHEN  ONLY  TWENTY-SIX  YEARS  OF  AGE. 


254  THE   PRENTEE-BOY. 

HE  FOUNDED  THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  PENNSYLVANIA. 

DEPUTY  POST-MASTER  GENERAL  IN  1752. 

INVENTOR  OF  LIGHTNING-RODS. 

WAS  ELECTED  FELLOW  OF  THE  ROYAL  SOCIETY. 

ORIGINATOR  OF  VOLUNTEER  MILITIA. 

COLONEL  OF  MILITIA. 

MINISTER  TO  THE  COURT  OF  ENGLAND  IN  1764. 

MEMBER  OF  THE  CONTINENTAL  CONGRESS  IN  1775. 

MINISTER  PLENIPOTENTIARY  TO  FRANCE  IN  1776. 

CONCLUDED  FIRST  TREATY  FOR  AMERICA  IN  1778. 

RECEIVED  DEGREE  OF  LL.  D.  FROM  OXFORD  UNI 
VERSITY. 

MINISTER  PLENIPOTENTIARY  TO  FRANCE  IN  1778. 

ONE  OF  FIVE  TO  DRAFT  THE  DECLARATION  OF 
INDEPENDENCE. 

HELPED  FRAME  THE  CONSTITUTION  OF  THE  UNITED 
STATES. 

A  LEADER  IN  THE  AMERICAN  REVOLUTION. 

CALLED  THE  "  NESTOR  OF  AMERICA  "  BY  THE 
NATIONAL  ASSEMBLY  OF  FRANCE. 

ADMITTED  TO  THE  HIGHEST  LITERARY  ASSEMBLIES 
OF  EUROPE. 

LIKE  WASHINGTON,  "  FIRST  IN  WAR,  FIRST  IN 
PEACE,  AND  FIRST  IN  THE  HEARTS  OF  HIS  COUNTRY 
MEN." 

HONORED  AS  A  GREAT  PHILOSOPHER,  SAGACIOUS 
STATESMAN,  AND  SINCERE  PHILANTHROPIST. 

In  reading  the  history  of  the  United  States,  no 
name  is  more  conspicuous  than  that  of  Franklin. 


CONCLUSION.  255 

His  agency  is  everywhere  seen  and  acknowledged 
in  laying  the  foundation  of  our  institutions,  and 
achieving  our  country's  glories.  The  memory  of 
no  patriot  and  philosopher  has  been  more  dear  to 
generations  that  have  come  and  gone  since  his  day. 
Abroad,  as  well  as  at  home,  he  was  honored.  At 
one  time,  in  France,  "  prints,  medallion  portraits, 
and  busts  of  Franklin  were  multiplied  throughout 
France  ;  and  rings,  bracelets,  canes,  and  snuff-boxes, 
bearing  his  likeness,  were  worn  or  carried  quite 
generally."  In  England,  and  other  parts  of  Europe, 
similar  homage  was  paid  to  his  greatness.  Since 
that  period  his  statue  has  been  erected  in  the  halls 
of  learning  and  legislation,  literary  societies  have 
adopted  his  name  to  give  them  pre-eminence,  and 
numerous  towns  have  been  called  after  him.  The 
author's  native  place  was  named  in  honor  of  Frank 
lin,  who  afterwards  presented  the  town  with  a  val 
uable  library  that  is  still  in  existence.  On  being 
informed  by  a  friend  that  this  town  had  adopted  his 
name,  he  inquired  what  sort  of  a  present  would  be 
acceptable  to  the  inhabitants  as  an  acknowledgment 
of  their  respect  and  homage.  The  friend  suggested 
that  a  bell  might  prove  a  timely  gift,  as  they  were 
erecting  a  new  house  of  worship.  But  Franklin 
thought  otherwise,  and  decided  to  present  a  library. 
He  jocosely  remarked,  in  the  letter  which  accom 
panied  the  books,  that  he  "  supposed  a  town  that 
would  adopt  his  name  must  be  more  fond  of  sense 
than  sound." 


256  THE  PRINTER-BOY. 

It  would  multiply  the  pages  of  this  volume  be 
yond  its  designed  limits  to  enumerate  all  the  public 
posts  of  honor  that  Franklin  adorned,  and  all  the 
marks  of  respect  that  have  been  paid  to  his  mem 
ory.  This  brief  reference  to  the  more  prominent 
of  these  is  sufficient  to  aiford  the  reader  a  view  of 
the  REMARKABLE  MAN,  and  to  illustrate  the  force  of 
energy,  industry,  integrity,  and  perseverance,  in 
human  destiny. 

Washington  wrote  to  him  :  "  If  to  be  venerated 
for  benevolence,  if  to  be  admired  for  talents,  if  to 
be  esteemed  for  patriotism,  if  to  be  beloved  for  phi 
lanthropy,  can  gratify  the  human  mind,  you  must 
have  the  pleasing  consolation  to  know  that  you  have 
not  lived  in  vain.  And  I  flatter  myself  that  it  will 
not  be  ranked  among  the  least  grateful  occurrences 
of  your  life  to  be  assured  that,  so  long  as  I  retain 
my  memory,  you  will  be  recollected  with  respect, 
veneration,  and  affection,  by  your  sincere  friend, 
George  Washington." 

Congress  was  in  session  when  Franklin  died,  and 
when  his  death  was  announced,  on  motion  of  Madi 
son,  it  was  resolved  that  a  badge  of  mourning  be 
worn  for  one  month,  "  as  a  mark  of  veneration  due 
to  the  memory  of  a  citizen  whose  native  genius  was 
not  more  an  ornament  to  human  nature  than  his 
various  exertions  of  it  have  been  precious  to  science, 
to  freedom,  and  to  his  country." 

In  France,  Condorcet  eulogized  him  in  the  Acad- 


CONCLUSION.  257 

emy  of  Science,  and  Mirabeau  in  the  National  As 
sembly.  The  latter  said :  "  Antiquity  would  have 
erected  altars  to  this  great  and  powerful  genius." 

When  Rachel  was  dying,  she  named  her  infant 
son  "  Ben-oni,"  which  means,  "  son  of  my  sorrow," 
because  he  was  the  occasion  of  her  sufferings  and 
death.  But  Jacob,  his  father,  called  him  "  Benja 
min,"  which  signifies  "  the  son  of  a  right  hand." 
There  was  a  time  when  Franklin's  mother,  weeping 
over  her  runaway  boy,  would  have  called  him  "  Ben- 
oni,"  and  it  might  have  appeared  to  observers  that 
he  would  turn  out  to  be  such.  But  the  excellent 
lessons  of  his  early  home,  and  the  good  traits  of 
character  which  he  nurtured,  caused  him  to  become 
a  true  Benjamin  to  his  parents,  —  "a  son  of  their 
right  hand."  With  a  warm,  filial  heart,  he  sought 
to  minister  to  their  wants  in  their  declining  years, 
and,  as  we  have  seen,  offered  the  last  and  highest 
tribute  of  affection  in  his  power,  when  they  were 
laid  in  the  dust. 

In  his  riper  years,  Franklin  sincerely  regretted 
the  doubts  of  his  youth  and  early  manhood  respect 
ing  religion.  The  sentiments  that  were  poured  into 
his  young  mind  by  fond,  parental  lips,  he  came 
to  respect  and  cherish.  He  went  to  the  house  of 
God  on  the  Sabbath  with  great  constancy ;  and,  as 
if  recollecting  the  sin  of  his  youth,  he  wrote  to 
his  daughter,  "  Go  constantly  to  church,  whoever 
preaches"  His  own  experience  taught  him  that  it 

Q 


258  THE  PKINTER-BOY. 

was  dangerous  and  wicked  to  forsake  the  sanctuary. 
He  became  interested  in  every  good  work.  His 
influence  and  his  purse  were  offered  to  sustain 
Christianity.  He  appreciated  every  benevolent  en 
terprise,  and  bade  them  God-speed.  On  one  occa 
sion  the  celebrated  Whitfield  preached  in  behalf  of 
an  orphan  asylum,  which  he  proposed  to  erect  in 
Georgia.  Franklin  was  not  in  full  sympathy  with 
the  plan,  because  he  thought  it  should  be  erected  in 
Pennsylvania,  and  the  orphans  brought  there.  Still, 
he  listened  to  the  eminent  preacher  unprejudiced, 
and  when  the  collection  was  taken,  at  the  close  of 
the  meeting,  he  emptied  his  pockets  of  all  the 
money  he  had,  which  consisted  of  "  a  handful  of 
copper  money,  three  or  four  silver  dollars,  and  five 
pistoles  in  gold." 

He  sympathized  deeply  with  the  poor  and  needy, 
and  espoused  the  cause  of  the  oppressed  in  every 
land.  He  was  the  first  president  of  the  Pennsylva 
nia  Anti-Slavery  Society,  and  both  his  hand  and 
heart  were  pledged  to  the  cause  of  freedom.  One 
of  his  biographers,  summing  up  his  character  in 
these  particulars,  says :  "  He  was  bold,  consistent, 
active,  and  greatly  in  advance  of  his  age.  From 
his  Quaker  brethren  in  Philadelphia  he  contracted 
all  their  zeal  in  behalf  of  humanity,  although  in  his 
mind  it  put  on  the  aspect  of  plain,  practical  benefi 
cence.  He  was  ever  foremost  in  all  humane  enter 
prises.  He  was  never  misled,  through  sympathy 


CONCLUSION.  259 

with  a  majority,  into  the  support  of  measures 
which,  though  popular,  were  inconsistent  with  a 
high-toned  Christian  morality.  He  was  the  cham 
pion  of  the  Indians  when  to  advocate  their  cause 
was  to  displease  the  many.  He  was  one  of  the 
earliest  opponents  of  the  slave-trade  and  slavery. 
He  omitted  no  opportunity  to  protest  against  war 
and  its  iniquity,  and  he  branded  as  piracy  the  cus 
tom  of  privateering,  however  sanctioned  by  interna 
tional  usages.  As  a  statesman  and  philosopher  his 
name  is  imperishable.  As  an  active  benefactor  of 
his  race,  he  is  entitled  to  its  lasting  gratitude.  As 
one  of  the  founders  of  the  American  Union,  he 
must  ever  be  held  in  honorable  remembrance  by  all 
who  prize  American  institutions.  As  the  zealous  foe 
to  oppression  in  all  its  forms,  he  merits  the  thankful 
regard  of  good  men  of  all  ages  and  climes." 

He  carried  his  reverence  for  God,  and  his  regard 
for  Christianity,  into  the  high  places  of  authority. 
He  proposed  the  first  Day  of  Fasting  and  Prayer 
ever  observed  in  Pennsylvania,  and  wrote  the  Proc 
lamation  for  the  Secretary  of  State.  When  the  Con 
vention  to  frame  the  Constitution  of  the  United 
States  met  in  Philadelphia,  in  178T,  he  introduced 
a  motion  into  that  body  for  daily  prayers,  which, 
strange  to  say,  was  rejected.  In  support  of  his 
motion,  he  made  the  following  memorable  address, 
which  fairly  illustrates  his  usual  disposition  to  recog 
nize  God  in  all  human  affairs  :  — 


260  THE  PEINTER-BOY. 

"In  the  beginning  of  the  contest  with  Britain, 
when  we  were  sensible  of  danger,  we  had  daily 
prayers  in  this  room  for  Divine  protection.  Our 
prayers,  sir,  were  heard ;  and  they  were  graciously 
answered.  All  of  us,  who  were  engaged  in  the 
struggle,  must  have  observed  frequent  instances  of 
a  superintending  Providence  in  our  favor.  To  that 
kind  Providence  we  owe  this  happy  opportunity  of 
consulting  in  peace  on  the  means  of  establishing 
our  future  national  felicity.  And  have  we  now  for 
gotten  that  powerful  Friend,  or  do  we  imagine  we 
no  longer  need  His  assistance  ?  I  have  lived,  sir, 
a  long  time ;  and  the  longer  I  live,  the  more  con 
vincing  proofs  I  see  of  this  truth,  that  God  governs 
in  the  affairs  of  men.  And,  if  a  sparrow  cannot  fall 
to  the  ground  without  his  notice,  is  it  probable  that 
an  empire  can  arise  without  his  aid  ?  We  have 
been  assured,  sir,  in  the  sacred  writings,  that,  '  ex 
cept  the  Lord  build  the  house,  they  labor  in  vain 
that  build  it.'  I  firmly  believe  this  ;  and  I  also 
believe,  that,  without  His  concurring  aid,  we  shall 
succeed  in  this  political  building  no  better  than  the 
builders  of  Babel ;  we  shall  be  divided  by  our  little, 
partial,  local  interests  ;  our  projects  will  be  con 
founded,  and  we  ourselves  shall  become  a  reproach 
and  a  by-word  down  to  future  ages.  And,  what  is 
worse,  mankind  may  hereafter,  from  this  unfortu 
nate  instance,  despair  of  establishing  government 
by  human  wisdom,  and  leave  it  to  chance,  war,  and 


CONCLUSION.  261 

conquest.  I  therefore  beg  leave  to  move,  that 
henceforth  prayers,  imploring  the  assistance  of 
Heaven,  and  its  blessing  on  our  deliberations,  be 
held  in  this  assembly  every  morning  before  we  pro 
ceed  to  business  ;  and  that  one  or  more  of  the 
clergy  of  this  city  be  requested  to  officiate  in  that 
service." 

His  confidence  in  the  Christian  religion,  and  his 
regard  for  purity  of  conduct,  did  not  diminish  as  he 
drew  near  the  grave.  On  the  other  hand,  he  bore 
earnest  testimony  to  the  faith  of  his  fathers  until 
the  close  of  his  life,  and,  ere  he  died,  renewed  his 
vindication  of  the  Scriptures,  in  the  following  cir 
cumstances. 

A  young  man  called  to  see  him,  as  he  lay  upon 
his  death-bed,  scarcely  able  to  articulate.  Dr.  Frank 
lin  welcomed  him  with  a  benignant  look,  which  he 
was  wont  to  cast  upon  the  young,  and  imparted 
some  good  advice  to  him. 

"  What  is  your  opinion  with  regard  to  the  truth 
of  the  Scriptures  ?  "  inquired  the  young  man,  who 
was  somewhat  sceptical. 

Franklin  replied,  although  in  a  very  feeble  state, 
"  Young  man,  my  advice  to  you  is,  that  you  culti 
vate  an  acquaintance  with,  and  a  firm  belief  in,  the 
Holy  Scriptures  ;  this  is  your  certain  interest." 


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BERKELEY 

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